By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : October 20, 2025 8:24 am
Bridging ideas and emotions with innovation and sustainability at the core
BASF Coatings has unveiled its highly anticipated 2025–2026 Automotive Color Trends collection, titled “Driving the Proxy.”This latest edition explores how ideas and inspirations translate into tangible design actions, bridging the gap between imagination and reality in automotive color design.
At the heart of the collection lies a continued commitment to sustainability and innovation. Several colors incorporate renewable or recycled raw materials, while advanced pigment technologies—such as multi-color effects and liquid metal-like surfaces—enhance visual sophistication. The palette introduces refined faux solids with smooth finishes and subtle sparkle, alongside a shift toward warmer, emotionally resonant tones such as mauves, reddish hues, and nuanced browns.
The “Driving the Proxy” collection comprises 45 colors, with three key regional highlights that reflect distinct cultural, technological, and emotional shifts across the globe. These colors are poised to influence automotive designs that will appear on the roads within the next few years.
In the EMEAregion, Tesseract Blue represents a vivid, multidimensional hue with green and violet undertones achieved through advanced interference pigments. Inspired by geometric abstraction, it embodies the idea of “filling the voids” amid changing social and environmental landscapes. “We see that overlapping dynamics, such as climate changes and social fragmentation, are reshaping social norms,” said Mark Gutjahr, Global Head of Automotive Color Design at BASF Coatings. “Tesseract Blue symbolizes a change in perspective—offering inclusive, forward-looking design solutions.”
In Asia Pacific, Phygital Magnetar captures the dual spirit of the region—balancing relentless innovation with a yearning for calm and clarity. This warm metallic shade, with its smooth liquid-metal effect, is achieved through advanced two-coat technology that bridges the physical and digital worlds. “Inspired by conversations around innovation fatigue, Phygital Magnetar offers a serene yet expressive surface where innovation becomes invisible, allowing design to quietly redefine the future,” said Chiharu Matsuhara, Head of Automotive Color Design for Asia Pacific.
In the Americas, Auxetic Neutral redefines neutrality as an expression of identity. This culturally inspired brown with a clean sparkle adds depth and vibrancy, merging influences from fashion and industrial design. “Design today is less about individual authorship and more about collective expression,” said Gutjahr. “Neutrality has evolved into a tool for inclusivity, allowing diverse voices to shape identity. Auxetic Neutral embodies this openness and complexity while remaining distinct and memorable.”
Each year, BASF Coatings’ global design teams analyze evolving trends in fashion, consumer behavior, technology, and nature to craft forward-thinking color concepts that guide the automotive industry. These insights not only inspire future vehicle models but also influence surface and texture innovations through BASF’s advanced digital and virtual color tools.
Previous trend colors, such as Bursting Blue, have already made their mark on vehicles worldwide. With “Driving the Proxy,”BASF Coatings continues to set the direction for the future of automotive design—where creativity, emotion, and sustainability merge seamlessly on the road ahead.