The Rhythm of Blues™ story is expressed through three distinctive blue hues, Slow Swing™, Mellow Flow™, and Free Groove™, each representing a different rhythm and design attitude for future vehicles.
AkzoNobel
is setting the tone for the future of mobility with Rhythm of Blues™, its 2026 Color of the Year, developed specifically to reflect the evolving emotional and functional demands of automotive design.
Drawing on insights from AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center and its extensive annual trend forecast, the 2026 theme centres on your space, your pace – exploring how colour influences emotional connection, driver experience and creative expression. The colour direction has been developed in collaboration with AkzoNobel’s in-house experts, alongside international architects, designers and journalists.
With more than 30 years of global colour forecasting expertise, AkzoNobel continues to shape the industry through its ColorSurfaces initiative, an annual trend programme that examines the future of colour and material design across the automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics sectors.
Each year, the ColorSurfaces team translates global design and lifestyle trends into forward-looking palettes tailored for professional use. These insights directly inform AkzoNobel’s Automotive Color Trend Collections, supporting OEMs and design studios with innovative finishes, effects and colour solutions aligned to future mobility.
An upbeat and highly versatile colour family that is calming, connecting and creative, Rhythm of Blues™ reflects the moods, movements and emotional rhythms influencing the next generation of vehicle design, from interior environments to exterior surfaces.
“In today’s fast-moving and changing world, people are responding in different ways. They either feel the need to slow down, focus and recharge, or to be connected to others and celebrate kinship, while others want to be bold and express themselves more freely. As we understand that color is emotion and therefore personal, we’ve chosen a family of Blues that allow automotive designers to explore and express different styles and meet individual needs,” has stated Gareth Bryant, Color Design Lead, Automotive and Specialty Coatings Marketing.
Engineered using AkzoNobel’s advanced automotive coatings technologies, each shade incorporates tailored visual effects that deliver depth, durability and dynamic movement. This makes the colours ideally suited to OEM design studios, concept vehicles, series production and custom refinish applications.
- Slow Swing™ - A deep, dark blue symbolising strength, composure and quiet confidence, well suited to premium and performance-led vehicle concepts.
- Mellow Flow™ - A light, refined blue that brings balance, calm and modern elegance to contemporary automotive surfaces.
- Free Groove™ - A vibrant, expressive blue designed to convey creativity, freedom and individuality in bold vehicle designs.
“We’re proud to bring color innovation into every part of the automotive value chain. Whether for a concept car, a production line, or a custom refinish project, these new shades empower our customers to define their own rhythm and style – with confidence,” has added Rob Lagendijk, Commercial Marketing and Product Management Director, Automotive and Specialty Coatings.
As the automotive industry accelerates towards electrification, digitalisation and personalisation, Rhythm of Blues™ demonstrates how colour is becoming central to emotional vehicle design. No longer just an aesthetic choice, colour now acts as a communication tool – expressing brand identity, supporting differentiation and strengthening emotional connection with drivers and passengers.
Rhythm of Blues™ also reflects AkzoNobel’s commitment to a more sustainable automotive future. Each shade has been developed using advanced coating technologies designed to support sustainability objectives, including reduced emissions, improved durability and greater material efficiency.
From the subtle serenity of Mellow Flow™ to the bold self-expression of Free Groove™, AkzoNobel’s 2026 Color of the Year provides OEMs with a future-ready creative toolkit – thus capturing the spirit of connection, creativity and change shaping the next era of driving.