BASF Coating

BASF Releases 2022-2023 Automotive Color Trends

Every year, GM‘s coating supplier, BASF, releases its automotive color trends collection.

For 2022-2023, BASF’s Coating division created a collection titled New Array,

which aims to provide unique and desirable color shades for vehicles while maintaining a focus on sustainability and functionality.

This year’s color palette is fairly diverse, featuring a broad spectrum of colors from traditional white,

silver and black to eye-catching green and yellow.

“The collection title New Array refers to the thoughtful process of ordering values and responding to new needs,”

reads a press release from BASF. “This collection immerses itself in that space to look forward at the future of mobility.”

BASF Coating drew inspiration from the colors of Europe,

Middle East and Africa to “reach high chromaticity with spectacular new pigments,”

while the darker tones remain smooth and quiet. The colors of Asia Pacific inspired happy and spicy colors,

planting the idea of a “positive and realistic future.”

Meanwhile, the Americas also provided inspiration for some of the color options.

BASF Coating took inspiration from the pull of society, which seeks “whether

to move in rapidly different aesthetic without losing touch with sophisticated

appearance and compelling effects.” This conjured up colors with depth, texture and compatibility,

encouraging the embrace of liminal spaces.

The purpose of BASF’s annual color trends is to provide its customers,

many of which are automotive designers, with a heavily researched color palette that takes inspiration from industry,

fashion, consumer products, nature, technology and more.

The designers can then take this information and incorporate the trends into vehicles currently in development,

or into the color offerings of exist ing models.

Interestingly, the color red did not make it into the latest color trends into the 2022-2023 trends,

deviating significantly from the 2021-2022 study where the hue was prominently featured. Instead,

the overall tone of the palette is calmer and cooler this go-round.