The Ford Flex crossover, when it arrives at dealers later this summer, will be quieter inside than its competitors, a list that includes the Acura MDX , Toyota Highlander and GMC Acadia , Ford announced today. Prototypes of the car have been tested in a wind tunnel for over a year to eliminate wind noise at speed thanks to a ‘search and destroy’ process. Ford spent the time on the issue as it believes customers associate quiet interior with quality.
“Quietness is a very good proxy for quality in a vehicle,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford ’s group VP of Global Product Development.
Ford engineers spent many hours fine-tuning the body of the Flex at Jacobs Technology’s Drivability Test Facility (DTF) in Allen Park, MI. The facility can produce winds of up to 150mph, and tweak other parameters such as altitude and temperature.
Measurements were made using the Aachen Head, a microphone equipped dummy, to help pinpoint the sources of noise. Design changes made to the car based on the NVH team’s findings include doors that are inset into the roof as opposed to wrapping around the side of it. Smaller changes included a redesign of the A-pillar and adding 1mm to a seal in a half-inch gap under the mirror mounts. The process of finding the trouble spots involves taping up the gaps with special tape, then removing the strips one by one, and seeing what effect it has on interior noise. If it’s great, the team brainstorms ideas what it could do to minimize or eliminate it, within constraints such as budget.
