Global Automotive
2015 Color Popularity Report
Global Automotive 2015 Color Popularity Report
White wins again as the most popular automotive color of choice.
Axalta Coating Systems presents the 63rd consecutive edition of the Automotive Color
Popularity Report. This report looks at automotive color popularity by global geography and
by a variety of vehicle segments.
White has continued to increase in popularity, topping out this year as the number one color
globally. White overtook silver in 2011 as the most preferred vehicle color preference. Since
then, white has continued to gain popularity on all vehicle types in most regions, while silver
has continued to decline. Customers in Asia (41 percent) and Africa (46 percent) prefer white
more than in other parts of the world.
The inaugural North American Automotive
Color of the Year for 2015 was Radiant Red.
Since 1953, white has been one of the top five colors during all but three years. Whites have
evolved and today they are available in a rich variety of alternatives from stone white solids
and vanilla shades, to cool bright whites and pearlescent whites.
After white at 35 percent, there is a big drop to black, the next most popular color at
18 percent. These are followed by silver at 13 percent, gray at 10 percent, red at seven
percent, and blue and beige/brown tied at six percent. At the least popular end of the
spectrum, yellow was found on only two percent of vehicles, green on one percent, and all
other colors on two percent of vehicles.
While the neutrals of white, silver, gray and black dominate, red and blue continue to be the
top colorful choices, with red especially winning over vehicle buyers.
As a color leader, Axalta has been at the forefront of global automotive color design and trend
evaluations for decades. Axalta convened the first-ever Color Advisory Committee in 1926 to
craft colors specifically for cars. Over the years, Axalta’s color experts have remained focused on
partnering with vehicle manufacturers by keeping a finger on the pulse of industry trends and
forecasting the designs and color preferences that will engage consumers in the years to come.
Color draws the eye and is often a key factor in purchasing a vehicle. But Axalta delivers more
than a colorful, beautiful finish. Our coatings are formulated to enable beautiful colors to
endure by protecting the finish against the fading forces of UV rays, tough road conditions,
and the effects of harsh weather. Providing durability and beautiful effects are both part of
Axalta’s promise to our customers.
WORLD COLOR POPULARITY
35%
24% SOLID WHITE
11% PEARL WHITE
10%
2%
1%
7%
6%
6%
18%
5% SOLID BLACK
13% EFFECT BLACK
13%
2%
Highlights of what buyers around the world preferred in 2015.
World Colors
Europe
• At a remarkable 35 percent, white is the most popular
color on vehicles, marking the fifth consecutive year it
has led.
• The overall color rankings remained the same compared
to 2014. Small changes are evident, as white pearl
increased by two percentage points and gray fell by one.
• Silver leveled out after declining for four years and
remains at 13 percent.
• Blue comes in at nine percent with much interest in
mid-shade blues.
• Blue remained steady over 2014, while other rich
colors fell off.
• Holding 21 percent of the market, no region likes
black more.
North America
Russia
• Since 2007, white has been the top color in this region,
totaling 27 percent in 2015, a gain of two percentage
points.
• Green dropped by four percentage points compared
to 2014, one of the biggest declines.
• Blue increased in popularity to a total of eight percent of
sales due to increased use of the color on compact/sport
and intermediate/crossover utility vehicles (CUVs).
• Black gained seven percentage points, more than any
other color in Russia.
• At 11 percent, no region likes red more; but South
America comes in a close second at 10 percent.
• Axalta’s 2015 North American Automotive Color of
the Year, Radiant Red, reflected the preference of red
among consumers in the region.
South America
• At 37 percent, white is the region’s most popular color.
• Silver is the second-most popular at 23 percent.
• Gray, at eight percent, increased four percentage
points from last year.
• White jumped by six percentage points to 29 percent.
Asia
• India is the only region that reports silver as the top
color. All other regions report white as the top color.
• Up 11 percent from last year, white is the most popular
color across the region at 41 percent.
• In China alone, white gained in popularity by
19 percentage points.
• The region showed a three percent increase in beige/brown.
Africa
• White leads at almost half of all vehicles sold at
46 percent.
• Green could not do any worse with zero percent of sales.
• Black and beige/brown remained unchanged from 2014.
COLOR POPULARITY BY REGION
RED
WHITE
11%
NORTH AMERICA
11% NORTH AMERICA
10% SOUTH AMERICA
6% ASIA
6% EUROPE
5% RUSSIA
5% AFRICA
46%
AFRICA
46% AFRICA
41% ASIA
37% SOUTH AMERICA
29% RUSSIA
29% EUROPE
27% NORTH AMERICA
BLUE
BLACK
9%
EUROPE
9% EUROPE
8% NORTH AMERICA
8% RUSSIA
6% AFRICA
4% ASIA
3% SOUTH AMERICA
21%
EUROPE
21% EUROPE
20% NORTH AMERICA
20% RUSSIA
16% ASIA
13% SOUTH AMERICA
12% AFRICA
Global Color Popularity 2015
SOUTH AM
ERICA
White
OPE
EUR
Black
Silver
Gray
37%
36% SOL
ID WHITE
1% PEAR
L WHITE
29%WHITE
Red
Blue
ID
SOL
HITE
25% EARL W
P
4%
IA
AS
Yellow/Gold
Brown/Beige
TE E
I
% WH HIT
1
4 OLID L W
S AR
%
PE
25 %
16
Green
Others
NO
RT
H
ER
14
2
13 % S 7%
% OL
PE ID
AR WH
L W IT
HI E
TE
21%
CK
BLA CK
OLID
LA
3% S FFECT B
E
18%
%
15%
13%
10% SOLID
BL
3% EFFECT ACK
BLACK
%
38% 50
%
12% SOLI
PEA D WH
I
RL
WH TE
ITE
10%
9%
7%
15%
1%
14% SOLID
EFF
B
ECT LACK
BLA
CK
6%
10%
6%
4%
6%
3%
2%
1%
2%
1%
<1%
13%
1%
1%
<1%
1%
1%
1%
4%
5%
7%
7%
9%
14%
20%
1%
%
4%
<1
7%
5%
4%
5%
5%
8%
7%
3% EFFE
%
12
5%
10%
I
OL L WH
S
R
%
21 PEA
%
15
8%
9%
%
17
6%
8%
11%
%
12
12%
1%
%
16
18%
E
% HIT E
46LID WWHIT
SO RL
% EA
44 % P
2
AF
15%
LACK
LID B
8% SO ECT BLACK
FF
12% E
6% SO
9% EF LID BLACK
FECT
BLACK
15%
20%
%
CA
%
30
IA
IN
D
%
31
%
S
O
LID W
4%
HI
P
E
A
RL WH TE
ITE
29 WHITE
OLID
29% S RL WHITE
A
0% PE
RI
25
2
4% % S 9
PE OLI %
AR D W
L
H
W
HI ITE
TE
35
RUSS
IA
CO
MEXI
20%
10% SOLID BLACK | 10% EFFECT BLACK
29%
11% SOLID WHITE | 18% PEARL WHITE
18%
6% SOLID BLACK | 12% EFFECT BLACK
11%
8%
2%
3%
2%
3%
1%
<1%
1%
TRUCK/SUV
2%
1%
INTERMEDIATE/CUV
26%
23% SOLID WHITE | 3% PEARL WHITE
19%
2% SOLID BLACK | 17% EFFECT BLACK
15%
20%
2% SOLID BLACK | 18% EFFECT BLACK
7%
2%
1%
2%
1%
2%
<1%
COMPACT/SPORT
21%
16% SOLID WHITE | 5% PEARL WHITE
21%
9% SOLID WHITE | 12% PEARL WHITE
18%
16%
9%
8%
9%
6%
5%
36%
7% SOLID BLACK | 29% EFFECT BLACK
18%
6%
8%
3%
25%
3% SOLID BLACK | 22% EFFECT BLACK
9%
10%
4%
37%
13%
14%
7%
LUXURY/LUXURY SUV
33% SOLID WHITE | 4% PEARL WHITE
14%
12%
10%
8%
1%
26%
4% SOLID WHITE | 22% PEARL WHITE
12%
11%
9%
27%
10% SOLID BLACK | 17% EFFECT BLACK
14%
11%
11%
COMPACT/SPORT
2%
%
UT
12
SO
K
AC CK
BL LA
LID T B
SO FEC
2% EF
%
10
33%
19% SOLID WHITE | 14% PEARL WHITE
14%
2%
6%
Europe
17%
4%
6%
2%
North America
21%
13%
3%
%
12
3%
1%
1%
%BLACKACK
1S5
L
ID
OL CT B
7%
2%
6%
2%
<1%
1%
E
1%
% IT
36 D WH ITE
<1%
33%
10%
6%
11% SOLID BLACK
9% EFFECT BLACK
1%
1%
1%
4%
5%
3%
3%
1%
1%
5% SOLID BLACK
13% EFFECT BLACK
8%
3%
1%
7%
6% SOLID WHITE
27% PEARL WHITE
18%
3%
<1%
EA
OR
K
H
11
%
%
JAPAN
12
%
8%
6%
7%
24% SOLID WHITE
11% PEARL WHITE
<1
CHI
NA
12%
%
12
35%
14
F
F
4% E
%
12
8% SOLID BLACK | 13% EFFECT BLACK
WORLD
20
8
12 % S
% OLI
EF D
FE BL
CT AC
BL K
AC
K
1SOLIDECT B
21%
ICA
23%
K
AC K
6%BL LAC
14% SOLID WHITE | 7% PEARL WHITE
AM
6%
4%
5%
3%
1%
<1%
1%
<1%
<1%
1%
<1%
<1%
2%
TRUCK/SUV
INTERMEDIATE/CUV
LUXURY/LUXURY SUV
Contact us.
Regional & National
Global
North America
Axalta Coating Systems, LLC
Two Commerce Square
2001 Market Street
Suite 3600
Philadelphia, PA 19103
USA
Axalta Coating Systems, LLC
Nancy Lockhart
nancy.m.lockhart@axaltacs.com
+1 586 789 7536
Asia-Pacific (excl. China)
Axalta Coating Systems Australia Pty. Ltd.
Steve Burns
steve.j.burns@axaltacs.com
+61 (0) 423 026 071
China
Axalta Coating Systems Shanghai Holding Co., Ltd.
Annie You
annie.you@axaltacs.com
+86 (0) 21 6020 3666
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Axalta Coating Systems Deutschland Holding GmbH & Co. KG
Elke Dirks
elke.dirks@axaltacs.com
+49 202 529 6233
Latin America (excl. Brazil)
Axalta Coating Systems Mexico S de RL de CV
Ursula Chavez
ursula.chavez@axaltacs.com
+52 55 5366 3345
Brazil
Axalta Coating Systems Brazil LTDA
Marcus Lima
marcus.v.lima@axaltacs.com
+55 11 99 169 3348
Call Center
sac.guarulhos@axaltacs.com
0800 019 4030
Copyright ©2015 Axalta Coating Systems LLC and all affiliates. All rights reserved.
John Wray
john.w.wray@axaltacs.com
+1 586 789 7463
axaltacoatingsystems.com