Axalta Coating Systems, a global supplier of liquid and powder coatings and an authority on automotive color and color trending information, has released its Global Automotive 2014 Color Popularity Report. The report has annually tracked regional automotive color preferences since 1953. This year’s report offers an introduction to Color Matrix, Axalta’s automotive color forecast for use on future production vehicles. 

The 2014 forecast includes a wide variety of color types that will influence the global automotive market. The upcoming trends showcase four color groups: pale hues, bright colors, muted versions and dark shades. The matrix of colors is shown in fine or coarse metallics, solids, tintcoats, tricoats and pearlescent varieties. Advanced color technologies from Axalta’s global research and development teams add further to the breadth of color style combinations.

The world color data shows that white, at 29 percent, remains the most popular shade on vehicles for the fourth year in a row, while color is showing signs of coming back with red, blue and yellow each increasing by one percent. Black, at 19 percent, is still strong overall in the market, but has dropped one percent since last year.

North America

• White tops the charts at 25 percent.

• Red, more popular in North America than other regions, climbed three percent in popularity.

• White, silver and black declined one percent this year.

• Pearlcoats are the most popular coating in the United States. 

• Solid white is preferred in Mexico.

South America

• A strong preference for white at 27 percent of vehicles and silver, at 25 percent, shows light colors are the most popular.

• Black is third in popularity at 12 percent.

• Red increased one percent this year to 11 percent overall, showing an increase in preference for colors.

Europe

• Europe has the most blue vehicles on the road, with the main interest in light and mid shades.

• Major increases in blue were seen in the compact/sport and intermediate multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) categories.

• Silver and white have continued to decline.

• Green is not catching the eye of the car buyer, and it remains at only 1 percent popularity.

Asia

• There is a strong preference for white at 30 percent, with the highest usage in South Korea at 34 percent.

• Black has dropped slightly in preference, but holds second place at 19 percent.

• Black is most popular on luxury vehicles in China at 24 percent.

• Blue is more popular in Japan than in other countries in Asia.