Here are the trendy automotive colors for the years to come
Every year, designers at global automotive paint supplier BASF study future trends in various fields and present colors they believe will inspire vehicle manufacturers in the world's major markets.
Last year, the color they chose for the North American cars was Lava Grey, a volcanic hue somewhat reminiscent of the all-new Ford Mustang 2024, but darker. What about now?
"In this year's collection, midtones and colors that lean towards red are replaced by yellow and green, evoking renewal," explains Liz Hoffman, Automotive Color Design Manager for the Americas at BASF. "They go well with down-to-earth color spaces as well as supernatural combinations. It shows the changing mindset in automotive design."
All of which is to say that softer, more soothing hues are in the spotlight, playing with light and complementing the more eco-responsible materials that are gaining prominence on board the new vehicles. BASF's flagship color is the shimmering blue-green you see here, dubbed "Zenomenon". Quite original, isn't it?
If you're not crazy about it, it's much better than the main hues identified elsewhere in the world. For example, for the Asia-Pacific region, a fluorescent pale green called "Electronic Citrus" supposedly evokes growth as well as technology in the age of augmented reality. To us, it looks more like bad guacamole.
As for the Europe/Middle East/Africa zone, a bright orange-beige called "Predictor" stands out. The idea behind this color is to remind us that the human element remains important in the development stimulated by artificial intelligence.
How inspired will carmakers be by these colors? That remains to be seen. Our only hope is that they will show more originality. Fortunately, we can count on brands like BMW, Porsche and Jeep to take us off the beaten track of white, grey and black.
