Why 81% of new cars are white, black or grey

81% of new cars are white, black or grey: the uniformity that dominates 2026

I was driving down the road today and the scenery was monotonous: black, grey, white, white, black, grey... The feeling that all cars look the same is not a subjective impression. Axalta's global colour report, now in its 73rd edition, confirms that in 2025 white (29%), black (23%), grey (22%) and silver (7%) together account for 81% of new vehicles worldwide. In Europe, grey has already overtaken white: 26% versus 25%, with black at 22%. The question is how we ended up in this dreary uniformity.

The dominance of grey and white: data that confirm the perception

Axalta's figures are a snapshot of a phenomenon that has been brewing for years. The pueblerino of bright colours —yellows, turquoises, oranges, parrot greens— has been relegated to a minority. Maroon, that colour some describe as "liver on wheels", is one of the few that slips through the tide of muted tones. But it is not just about colour: design has become homogenised too. Egg-shaped, flat, charmless body styles have replaced the characterful lines of earlier decades. Details like the curved sheet metal on the fender of a 1970s Fiat are lost in a dark colour.

Why are all cars the same? The role of companies and rental fleets

The explanation is not just a matter of taste. In 2025, 1,148,650 passenger cars were registered in Spain: 539,642 by private buyers, 418,574 by companies and 190,434 by rental firms. More than half of new cars are bought by companies and rental fleets, which choose neutral colours for resale and maintenance reasons. White and grey do not show dirt as much, and black hides scratches better. It is the logic of cost, not of aesthetic pleasure. And then there is the price of fuel: driving 100 km in a plug-in hybrid can cost between 1.5 and 2 euros, which pushes many people towards practical, unpretentious vehicles.

The loss of personality: from chrome to egg

Some argue that the problem is not the colours, but that all cars are the same: "those abortions called SUVs" dominate the market. The criticism goes further: minimalist aesthetics, the so-called "Google look" or "post-Elbichito" style, has eliminated any concession to personality. Cement grey, which evokes a PVC pipe, has become the fashionable colour. And not just in cars: clothing, interior design and even cinema have succumbed to a kind of chromophobia, where bright colours seem like something for children. Uniformity is the new luxury, or so they want us to believe.

Not everyone agrees, however. Some defend that black is elegant and that a black Ferrari is a work of art. Others point out that white is the worst colour because of the asphalt residue that sticks to it. Taste, they say, is cultural and changes with the times. But the feeling that 2026 cars are impersonal, empty status symbols, is hard to refute.

The striking figure: in Europe, grey has overtaken white. The colour of asphalt, of concrete, of modern life, has become the king of the road. Meanwhile, brightly coloured cars are becoming a rarity, almost an eccentricity. The question is whether this uniformity is a rational choice or a surrender to the aesthetics of efficiency. Perhaps both.