On November 17, PPG Industries, a global leader in transportation coatings, released its annual report on automotive color trends. According to data provided by automakers in 2014, white remains the most popular color for vehicle finishes worldwide.

　　According to PPG’s global survey data, white remains the most popular automotive paint color, up 3 percentage points from last year to 28%, while black ranks second at 18%. Silver and gray are tied for third place at 13% each. Notably, silver’s global popularity has continued to decline, falling by 7 percentage points over the past two years. In the Asia-Pacific market, white maintains its position as the top choice at 31%, followed closely by silver/gray at 23% and black at 20%.

　　“Automakers around the world are continually exploring new ways to create distinctive visual identities for their models and brands. Given that color choices are typically selected two to three years before a model is launched, aligning color trends with evolving customer aesthetic preferences has become increasingly critical for automakers,” said Jane E. Harrington, Color Design Manager for PPG’s Automotive OEM Coatings business. “Today’s automakers enjoy an extensive palette of color options, ranging from base hues such as white, silver, black, and gray to a wide array of blended shades—and they can also achieve a variety of unique coating effects, including mica-based pigments, glass flake finishes, fine bright aluminum powders, and multi-color gradient coatings.”

　　In 2014, global automotive color trends included:

　　• In China, white is the most popular color (32%), followed by black (23%) and natural tones such as gold, beige, yellow, orange, and brown (14%), as well as silver (13%).

　　• In Japan, white is also the most popular color (31%), followed by black (20%), silver (15%), and red (12%).

　　• In South Korea, white remains the most popular color (31%), followed by black and gray (both at 14%) and silver (13%).

　　• In Southeast Asia, white is the most popular color (32%), followed by silver (19%), black (18%), and gray (10%).

　　Data from the Chinese market show that in 2014, 41% of luxury vehicles produced were black, while color choices for small cars were more diverse, with blue and red being the most popular hues for compact and mini cars.

　　Looking ahead to the 2015 model year, Harrington stated that PPG expects the use of warm, earthy hues such as copper, orange, and brown to continue growing. New models may also be influenced by metallic shades like antique bronze, pewter, and rose gold—colors that have gained significant popularity in recent years across fashion, jewelry, furniture, and industrial design. In addition, customers can look forward to a “high-definition” color experience akin to what they enjoy on entertainment platforms: “high-depth” colors—shades with greater depth and richer expression—particularly in blue, red, and yellow finishes for the 2015 lineup.

　　PPG 2017–2018 Vehicle Color Theme

　　To meet the ongoing demand for color innovation in the automotive coatings sector, PPG has introduced 63 exterior colors for manufacturers to use as design references for the 2017–2018 model year. This collection is named “Elements” and comprises four major color families:

　　•Good Life captures the harmonious unity of man-made and natural elements, celebrating the simple, unadorned beauty of nature and guiding drivers to discover the optimal balance in life. This color palette includes earthy brown, golden yellow, muted brown, and leaf green.

　　•I’m Pulse reflects the trend of consumers taking control of design through social media networks and the growing popularity of “creation.” This color palette includes vibrant highlight shades, opaque pastels, and urban neutrals.

　　•Co-Leidescope embodies greater inclusivity toward race and culture. This color palette features fiery red, gemstone green, and violet-blue, exuding a distinct Bohemian flair.

　　•Introsense combines clean, minimalist design with a serene aesthetic, ushering in a fresh wave of simplicity. This color palette features aged-look blues, greens, corals, and purples, complemented by a range of soft, muted neutrals.

　　PPG boasts an expert network of more than 25 color specialists who focus on color trend insights across the automotive, architectural, aerospace, and consumer goods markets. These experts analyze design trends and consumer preferences at the regional, cultural, and global levels to identify the key factors shaping future color choices. This year’s new colors and color palettes unveiled for automakers reflect these market dynamics and their broader implications.