Grey remains car buyers’ top choice

Grey has remained the nation’s favourite new car colour for the fifth year in a row.

More than a quarter (25.7%) of UK buyers chose the shade in 2022, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

It found that 415,199 grey cars were registered last year, up 1.7%, while black and white took second and third place overall, completing a monochrome podium. More than six in 10 (62.5%) new cars hitting British roads in 2022 were painted in grey, black or white.

Silver posted just 98,483 units and a 6.1% market share in 2022, while red, although retaining its fifth-place ranking, also recorded a decline to reach its lowest market share since 2008, at 136,793 units accounting for 8.5% of all cars registered.

The least popular shades were maroon, pink, and cream, which, combined, recorded less than one per cent of all registrations.

Meanwhile, green enjoyed a resurgence in popularity to a level not seen for 16 years, up by 74.2% on 2021 with the largest volume growth of all colours (up 13,293 units).

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Car colour choice theoretically proclaims something about who we are as drivers and buying a car today comes with many possibilities to customise your vehicle to match. After choosing from the market’s ever-growing choice of makes, models, powertrains, wheel trims and in-car tech, picking out the perfect paint is an exciting decision to make. While the most popular shades remained unchanged for 2022, for those looking to ensure their vehicle stands out from the crowd, there remains a huge variety of colour choices from across the rainbow available to suit every character.”