International. PPG Industries released its automotive color trends and data, citing blue as the fastest-growing color for cars worldwide.
PPG expects more blue cars on the road in 2018 and beyond. In 2016, PPG data showed that blue increased by 3 percent as a preference for luxury, midsize and compact cars. This upward trend continued in several regions of the world this year, with blue increasing as a color preference for luxury cars by 5 percent.
While blue will soon become more noticeable in the automotive market, applications in vehicle types around the world remain unique. In North America, blue is a popular choice for luxury cars, while it is an excellent choice among mini cars in China. In Europe, consumers prefer blue in sports cars more often than any other type of car.
Blue continued to dominate the North American International Auto Show over the past four years, with prominent applications in the Buick Avista, Audi Sport, Volvo S90 and S60 concept cars, as well as several mercedes, Porsche and Lexus models.
Jane Harrington, PPG Manager, Automotive Color Design said, "While we know that automotive color trends are inspired by multiple industries, they are unique compared to fashion or home décor as trends evolve and change slowly over time rather than year after year. to be popular color options, we are seeing a steady increase in the desire for cars in different shades of blue and brown."
PPG's automotive color preferences by region for 2017 include:
- North America: White (25 percent) remained stable as the top color preference, while black (21 percent) and gray (17 percent) increased 2 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Silver (13 percent) fell 6 percent, followed closely by red and blue (both 10 percent).
- South America: White (38 percent) continued to dominate in this region, while silver (31 percent) came very close, up 2 percent compared to the previous year. Black (10 percent), gray (9 percent) and red (8 percent) remained like other popular elections.
- Europe: White (32 percent), gray (18 percent), black (17 percent) and silver (9 percent) remained almost consistent with 2016, while blue (9 percent) saw an increase in consumer preference.
- Asia Pacific: White (44 percent) remains the most popular in this region. Black (15 percent), as well as silver (10 percent) and natural (10 percent), which includes shades of gold, beige, orange and brown.
