The Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings by BASF Coatings provides a comprehensive analysis of colour distribution in the global automotive industry, examining both worldwide and regional preferences. The data is based on available information relating to global automotive production and paint application for passenger cars.
Green and grey are emerging as defining tones in the global automotive market in 2025, according to the latest BASF Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings, which highlights a growing shift towards individuality and nature-inspired aesthetics.
Globally, green records the strongest growth among chromatic colours, continuing its steady rise and securing a place in the Top 3, alongside blue and red. However, both traditional favourites are losing ground. Blue falls by one percentage point, while red experiences an even sharper decline, now accounting for just three per cent of total market share. This confirms a clear move away from classic chromatic norms.
Within the achromatic palette, grey stands out with a significant increase of two percentage points, strengthening its appeal as a modern and elegant choice. White shows a slight decline, while black remains strong, although with fewer solid finishes. Overall, solid colours now represent only 18% of the market. This underlines a global trend that blends timeless elegance with expressive diversity, with green leading the transition towards a more individual and sustainable colour palette.
In the EMEA region, the upward trend for green continues. Green has overtaken red, establishing itself as a symbol of individuality and sophistication. Silver continues to lose relevance, while black and grey further consolidate their positions within the achromatic palette. White shows a slight decrease but adds more nuance to the neutral colour range.
“The green trend was already making waves in EMEA a few years ago. Different shades have been featured in our Automotive Color Trends collection, hinting at the huge variety of shades we see fitting to this movement today,” has stated Florina Trost, head of Design EMEA at BASF Coatings.
In the Americas, 2025 presents a more mixed picture. Grey is slightly below its 2024 level but remains well above 2023. Silver is gaining importance again, while white continues to decline. The overall share of coloured car paints has risen by almost two percentage points, signalling a renewed preference for more expressive colours. While red and blue have traditionally dominated the region, shades such as green, beige, brown and violet are now gaining momentum, pointing to a shift towards nature-inspired and more diverse aesthetics.
“In 2021, brown and beige have been key colors of our trend collection. The sales now validate these early predictions and illustrate, how long-term trends continue to shape the market,” has added Mark Gutjahr, global head of Automotive Color Design at BASF Coatings.
In Asia Pacific, achromatic colours continue to dominate in 2025. Grey shows a clear upward trend, while white declines. Black and silver remain stable, underlining the enduring appeal of classic neutral tones. Among chromatic colours, green is steadily gaining popularity, while blue has dipped slightly. Green now ranges from light, fresh tones to more traditional natural shades, reflecting a growing focus on sustainable and renewal-inspired palettes. Although the overall share of chromatic colours has decreased, the variety of hues still demonstrates a strong preference for individuality across the region.
“In our past trend forecast, we have introduced a solid-like grey with subtle color interference and highlighted an urban nuance green for adaptability. Today, grey strengthens while green expands across the region,” has concluded Chiharu Matsuhara, head of Automotive Color Design for Asia Pacific.