With its “BASF Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings,” BASF’s Coatings division provides a global analysis of the color distribution in the 2017 automotive market.

Globally, white maintains its strong position in all vehicle segments and still is the overall No. 1 color with a market share of almost 40 percent. Together with black, gray and silver, the achromatic colors continue to be the most prominent.

Regarding chromatic colors, the share of blue and red is almost equal, followed by brown. The global overview of the car segments shows the smaller the car, the more vivid the color.

In a specific segment, SUVs significantly influence the popularity data due to increased sales and model choices. While white and black still are strong colors within this segment, red, blue and especially brown are gaining popularity. This mirrors the expected growth and diversification of the model range of these robust vehicles.

The North American Color Report subsection points out that new pigment technologies increase the demand for special effects that shimmer and shine. This leads to a larger variety within the color segments – especially with the achromatics white, black and silver/gray, which are the most popular vehicle colors in North America.

Even in the growing segment of electric vehicles, achromatic colors are still preferred – although gray/silver appear to be more popular than white or black at this early stage in electric vehicle development. Color aesthetics are being increasingly considered in combination with functionality, so the ability to be detected by sensors has more relevance than ever before, and BASF will continue to monitor these developments.

“Our trend research shows the continued importance of the achromatic color space, dominated by white, black and gray,” said Paul Czornij, head of design for BASF Color Design Excellence Group in North America. “It is critical for us to innovate in these areas, so we look for unique ways to find colors that capture the essence of the customer’s brand to help define the shape of the car.”

Blue and red are the key chromatic colors in North America. The blue color space is also very versatile and can achieve a large diversity of shades, ranging in lightness, saturation, and subtle hue changes. Other colors, such as orange, are showing up in the analysis. These shades provide more options for the consumers to tie in to their preferences.