IT can make engines sound like purring pussycats — or growling tigers.

Through the wizardry of digital technology some of today’s most sophisticated vehicles, like the GMC Sierra Denali, are designed to keep annoying engine noise from seeping into the cabin.

Others, like the Lexus NX F Sport, include digital tuners to accentuate the engine’s throaty growl to satisfy the primal urges of driver and passengers.

And sometimes — in a seeming contradiction — the same car does a bit of both.

In the Nissan Maxima, for example, noise-cancellation technology helps suppress undesirable droning frequencies from the engine. But the throb of horsepower is acoustically amplified when the driver steps on the gas.

“It’s about the driver’s comfort,” explained Aaron Gauger, a product planning manager at Nissan. “But we also want the driver to have a good experience during acceleration.”