The global automotive colour palette is undergoing a decisive shift in 2025, with car buyers moving away from long-standing favorites and embracing individuality and nature-inspired hues, according to BASF Coatings’ latest Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings.

 

Green is the standout winner, emerging as the fastest-growing chromatic color worldwide and breaking into the global Top 3, alongside blue and red. But while green climbs, its traditional rivals are losing ground. Blue drops by one percentage point, and red falls sharply to just three percent of total market share, signalling a clear retreat from classic chromatic norms.

 

Among achromatic colors, gray posts a strong gain of two percentage points, reinforcing its status as a modern, elegant choice. White continues to slide slightly, while black remains resilient, though increasingly replaced by more complex finishes. Overall, solid colors now account for just 18 percent of the global market, underscoring a growing appetite for expressive and differentiated designs.

 

 

Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, green’s rise is unmistakable. The color has surpassed red, positioning itself as a marker of sophistication and individuality. Silver continues its long decline, while black and gray consolidate their dominance. White loses ground but expands in tonal variety.

 

“The green trend was already making waves in EMEA a few years ago. Different shades have been featured in our Automotive Color Trends collection, hinting at the huge variety of shades we see fitting to this movement today,” said Florina Trost, head of Design EMEA at BASF Coatings.

 

 

The Americas present a more dynamic picture. Gray slips slightly from 2024 levels but remains well above 2023. Silver is regaining traction, while white continues its downward trend. Notably, chromatic colors gain nearly two percentage points overall, reflecting renewed demand for more expressive vehicles.

 

While red and blue have historically dominated the region, emerging favorites now include green, beige, brown and violet—signaling a shift toward natural, diverse aesthetics.

 

“In 2021, brown and beige have been key colors of our trend collection. The sales now validate these early predictions and illustrate, how long-term trends continue to shape the market,” said Mark Gutjahr, global head of Automotive Color Design at BASF Coatings.

 

 

In Asia Pacific, achromatic colors continue to dominate. Gray strengthens its position, while white declines. Black and silver remain stable, reflecting the region’s enduring preference for classic neutrals.

 

Among chromatic colors, green continues to gain ground even as blue softens slightly. Green’s expanding spectrum—from fresh, light tones to deeper, natural shades—points to a growing focus on sustainability and renewal. Although chromatic colors make up a smaller overall share, diversity within those hues remains strong.

 

“In our past trend forecast, we have introduced a solid-like gray with subtle color interference and highlighted an urban nuance green for adaptability. Today, gray strengthens while green expands across the region,” said Chiharu Matsuhara, head of Automotive Color Design for Asia Pacific.

 

The Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings analyzes global and regional automotive colour preferences based on worldwide production and paint application data for passenger cars.