What's all this about?
Ford is debuting an Active Noise Control (ANC) system on its ultra-posh Mondeo Vignale.
Can you explain what ANC does?
It's similar to systems seen in other cars, one notable example being the Nissan R35 GT-R. The Vignale has three cabin-mounted microphones that are listening out for the intrusive sounds of the drivetrain. It then broadcasts a 'noise-cancelling' sound wave of opposing frequency to neutralise such aural distractions. It can do this whether the stereo is off or on, so if you're listening to your favourite music, ANC won't be interrupting your playlists.
Has the Mondeo Vignale got a decent stereo?
Yes, a Sony 12-speaker set-up with a 10-channel, digital sound processing amplifier. So it can make plenty of noise as well as broadcasting the sound of silence.
Is there anything else on the Vignale to cut out disturbances?
Indeed there is. In fact, the Mondeo Vignale is one of the first European Fords to benefit from the work of the Vehicle Harmony Team... no, really. This bunch pay attention to every single noise in the cabin, from tyre roar right the way down to, for instance, the sound the heated rear window switch makes when it is depressed (as in 'pushed in by the human operator', rather than it being really, really down in the dumps).
What has the Vehicle Harmony Team added to the Vignale to achieve inner peace?
It has acoustic glass, which features a super-thin layer of film (it's slimmer than a human hair) in order to cut out wind noise. And rather than fibreglass sound-deadening in the engine bay, the Vignale uses foam to keep things hushed in the cabin.
Will ANC make it into other Fords?
It will, starting with the Edge SUV due for launch in 2016.
Matt Robinson - 13 Nov 2015