BASF Coatings’ annual colour forecast targets OEM designers with a technical study of light interaction and surface complexity.
BASF Coatings has published its automotive colour trend forecast for 2026, led by “Driving Proxy Hue” — a complex, shifting chromatic grey that changes character under different lighting conditions, appearing cool and technical in daylight and warmer with perceptual depth in artificial light. This “proxy” behaviour — the colour appearing as a different colour depending on context — represents the frontier of automotive coating optical engineering.
The forecast is produced by BASF Coatings’ team of automotive colour designers and is directed at OEM design studios at vehicle manufacturers 3–5 years ahead of production — the typical automotive colour development cycle. The 2026 report therefore informs design decisions for model years 2028–2030 production vehicles. BASF Coatings supplies to major Indian automotive manufacturers including Tata Motors, Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki through its Pune manufacturing facility.
The Technology Behind Chromatic-Shift Automotive Coatings
Chromatic-shift or metameric coatings use precisely engineered aluminium flake orientation, interference pigment layering, and binder refractive index to create coatings that respond differently to specular and diffuse light. The engineering challenge is repeatability: chromatic shift must be consistent across panels, production batches, and refinish repairs over the vehicle’s life. BASF’s patented aluminium orientation control technology addresses this consistency challenge.
Indian Automotive Colour Market Context
Indian automotive OEM colour selection typically follows global design trends with a 2–3 year lag for mainstream segments and near-simultaneous launch for premium models. White continues to dominate Indian automotive colour preference (approximately 40% of passenger vehicle production), with grey and silver accounting for another 25–30%. The Driving Proxy Hue forecast signals future growth in complex grey variants.
What Happens Next?
Watch for complex chromatic greys to enter Indian automotive production colour palettes in model year 2028–2030, as OEM design studios incorporate BASF’s 2026 forecast direction into production planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a metameric or chromatic-shift automotive colour?
A metameric colour appears to change hue under different light sources — looking cool grey in daylight but warmer or more chromatic under showroom or artificial light. This effect is created by engineering the interaction between flake orientation, interference pigments, and the viewing angle.
How does BASF supply Indian automotive manufacturers?
BASF Coatings operates manufacturing and colour development facilities in Pune, Maharashtra, supplying OEM coating systems to Tata Motors, Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki assembly plants in India. BASF also supplies automotive refinish coatings through its Glasurit and R-M brands.
Where can I find BASF’s automotive colour forecast?
BASF Coatings publishes its annual automotive colour trend report through BASF.com/coatings and at the Automechanika, IAA, and Detroit Auto Show press events. The full technical report is available to OEM design studio clients through BASF’s automotive colour consulting service.
Leave a comment