Electric cars may be the future, but Kia just proved that the past still smells pretty good. In one of the most unexpected ideas to come out of the EV world, the Korean automaker is offering a gasoline-scented air freshener — yes, you read that right — to help new EV drivers keep a little piece of their old driving memories alive.
The Scent of Nostalgia — Straight from Finland
The idea comes from Astara Auto Finland, Kia’s official importer, which is giving away the unique air freshener to every buyer of the new Kia EV4, the brand’s first electric model built in Europe.
It started as a fun experiment: could you bottle the “spirit of an engine”? To find out, Kia teamed up with Max Perttula, Finland’s only professional perfumer and a man with a serious love for cars. Together, they created something that smells nothing like fruit or flowers — but everything like a classic mechanic’s workshop.
The scent blends motor oil, metal, birch tar, galbanum, and even a touch of jasmine — a surprising ingredient that naturally carries notes of gasoline. The result is an oddly satisfying fragrance that makes you think of gas stations, chrome tools, and long road trips, all packed inside a tiny air freshener shaped like a mini jerry can.
A Funny Idea with a Real Purpose
For Klaus Pohjala, Commercial Director at Astara Auto Finland, this wasn’t just about being clever. It was about helping people connect emotionally with the new electric era.
“Giving up the combustion engine can feel like a huge step — just like giving up anything else that’s familiar,” Pohjala explained. “We wanted to add a touch of nostalgic fun to that transition.”
So while the campaign might seem tongue-in-cheek, it carries a real message: you can move forward without forgetting where you came from.
The EV4 and the Future of Kia
This lighthearted project launched alongside Kia’s EV4 hatchback, which just began production in Europe. The car made its global debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, and a sedan version is already planned for release in the United States next year.
With this move, Kia shows that embracing electrification doesn’t have to mean losing personality. The EV4 campaign proves that technology and humor can coexist — and that sometimes, the best way to promote progress is with a wink.
A Campaign with Character
Kia’s Finnish team leaned fully into the humor, releasing cheeky videos and ads poking fun at the idea of “missing the smell of gas.” It’s a clever bit of marketing that reminds everyone the EV revolution can still be fun — even emotional.
Perfumer Perttula laughed about it himself: “It’s a cheeky campaign, but it works. We wanted to keep the transition fun.”
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When the Past Meets the Future
What makes this story so fascinating is that it touches on something every car lover understands — driving is about more than motion; it’s about emotion. The sound, the vibration, the smell — they’re all part of the experience.
By bottling that feeling, Kia found a playful way to say goodbye to the combustion era without closing the door completely. The gasoline-scented air freshener may be limited to Finland for now, but given how quickly the idea has gone viral, it might just find its way to other markets — maybe even the Gulf, where the love for big engines still runs deep.
Because even as we move into a cleaner, quieter future, Kia’s little experiment reminds us of one simple truth: you can take the gasoline out of the car, but you can’t take it out of the driver’s heart.
