Hegemony of neutral colors retreats slightly with the rise of nature-inspired tones in important markets
The absolute dominance of neutral colors in the automotive market is beginning to give way. The 2025 report by BASF, a German paint manufacturer, points out that, although white, black and gray still lead global sales, consumers have been looking for more expressive tones.
White remains at the top, equipping 33% of new vehicles in the world, followed by black (23%) and gray (19%). The novelty, however, is the growth of colors linked to nature, such as green, which have been gaining relevance on the streets.
SEE ALSO:
Globally, green grew 1%. The highlight is the North American market, where the color doubled its share from 2% to 4% in just one year. For BASF, the rise of shades such as green, beige, brown and violet confirms trends predicted by the company in 2021.
In the Americas, the behavior is different. While white loses strength, silver rose to 13% and brown reappeared timidly, with 1% of sales. In the United States, bright colors such as red and blue maintain a strong appeal, often associated with local patriotism, while black remains the traditional choice.
Preferences change according to the continent. In Asia-Pacific, the bet continues on monochromes, with gray and silver rising. In Europe, black and gray gain ground specifically over white.
A curious fact is the persistence of yellow, which holds 1% of the global market in almost all regions, except in the Americas, where it practically does not appear in the statistics. The trend indicates that the search for visual diversity should continue, challenging the hegemony of neutral tones in the coming years.
