White was named by DuPont as the most popular automotive color for 2012 in its annual Color Popularity Report. Black came in at No. 2 while silver ranked third. Specifically, 23% of the votes went to white/white pearl; 21% preferred black, while 18% of the votes were for silver. In 2012, white has become the most popular car color in Europe. It is also the favourite in North America (U.S. and Canada), Japan, South Korea, Russia, South Africa, and Mexico. White became even more popular in the past decade with the introduction of pearlescent shades that give it a more upscale appearance. Black/black effect is the most popular color in China while silver is the most chosen color in South America, Brazil, and India.
In several markets, black is considered a luxury symbol. Silver became a trend during the digital age during the period between 2000 and 2006. A 1% increase in popularity was recorded by gray, red, and brown/beige each compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, blue was able to maintain its spot. North America follows the same trend as the global stage, with white leading at 24%.
White was chosen the most times for compact SUVs and trucks. However, it landed in No. 2 overall at 19%. But for midsize crossovers and luxury SUV segments, black trumped all other colors. Silver came in at third place with 16% but it didn’t take the lead in any segment. These are also the same top two colors in Europe, with white ranking higher than black. Gray, with 15%, was able to beat out silver, while blue rose to 8% of the votes in Europe.
