BASF's Coatings division provides a global analysis of the colour distribution in the automotive market annually. They cover almost 80 percent of cars produced worldwide. Report reveals that white colour is the most popular colour in automobiles globally. More than every fourth car in North America and nearly every third vehicle in Europe is painted white, while in Asia Pacific it is more than every second car. Silver's popularity decreased slightly in comparison to the previous year.
Among the diverse range of colour shades, blue is the most popular, followed by red. These chromatic colours tend to be more popular within the smaller vehicle segments, such as compact and subcompact cars. The overall amount of chromatic hues drops off significantly in the larger segments. Here, there was a considerable increase in black and white compared to the previous year.
According to the report, white is more popular in Asia Pacific than in any other region. 53 percent of all new cars are white. The colour's popularity grew significantly in comparison to the previous year. Among chromatic colours, red is still the most popular choice. Blue, however, is closing the gap. An interesting observation is that brown remains especially popular with SUVs but has shown signs of slowing down, indicating that its importance in this segment may have passed.
Car buyers in Asia Pacific are increasingly connecting their colour preferences to their attitudes and lifestyles. For example, metallic and sparkling blacks have risen in demand across several body segments. Even in subcompact cars, silvers and grays with dazzling effects are becoming more common. This can be seen in the Chinese market, where a broader palette of colours has emerged. Chiharu Matsuhara, head of Automotive Colour Design Asia Pacific said that the diversity of chromatic colours is evident, with red, blue, yellow, brown and gold hues appearing in almost every segment. Chinese consumers readily display their colouristic tastes more so than in the past.-PR