Black drives the thrill for car buyers, sees a surge in yearly sales

While white remains practical 'utility king'

The share of white-coloured passenger vehicles in annual car sales has gradually declined over the past five years, falling from about 43.9 per cent in 2021 to 40.7 per cent in 2025, according to Jato Dynamics data reviewed by Business Standard.

 

Despite this drop, white remains the most preferred colour among car buyers.

 

In contrast, black-coloured cars have seen a sharp rise in yearly sales, climbing from around 14.8 per cent in 2021 to nearly 20.76 per cent in 2025.

 

Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer (marketing and sales) at Maruti Suzuki India, told Business Standard that black has seen strong growth over the past five years, outpacing the industry average. This, he said, is driven by premium editions and its aspirational appeal among GenZ and young buyers.

 

Ajay Jain, head of India Design Studio at Tata Motors, said that white, once the undisputed favourite for its practicality and resale value, is losing ground as consumer priorities evolve.

 

“Car buying has shifted from a cautious, functional decision to an expressive act of individuality. Modern buyers seek vibrant, distinctive colours that signal confidence and a premium character, reflecting a generational embrace of self-expression,” he said.

 

Jain added that the growing popularity of black reflects evolving consumer preferences and automobile (auto) manufacturers’ innovation strategies. In premium and lifestyle-focused segments, darker shades symbolise sophistication, individuality, and status, echoing their links to high fashion and luxury. 

 

Across global markets and in India, he added, older buyers tend to favour lighter hues for their neutrality, while younger generations embrace black as a bold style statement. That said, white continues to lead due to its timeless elegance and practical benefits.

 

Passenger vehicle wholesales in India reached 4.56 million units in 2025, up 5.06 per cent year-on-year. Most of the growth came in the last quarter, following the goods and services tax rate cut implemented on September 22.

 

Jato Dynamics data shows that almost 30 per cent of all sport utility vehicles (SUVs) sold in India in 2025 were black, compared with just 6.77 per cent of hatchbacks.

 

Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics India, said black is attractive from a manufacturing perspective because it “streamlines the assembly line while delivering higher margins”. In mass production, he observed, black enables economies of scale by simplifying the paint process and masking panel tolerances that lighter colours can expose.

 

Automakers in India have leveraged this through Black Editions, allowing them to charge a premium for cosmetic changes such as de-chroming (or chrome delete) and dark alloys, turning standard models into “high-demand, high-margin assets without mechanical re-engineering”.

 

In the luxury and ultra-premium segments, Bhatia said black remains the default choice for “stealth wealth and timeless authority”. For high-end brands, black is not just a colour but a test of paint depth and surface perfection, as any flaw is immediately visible. While mass-market buyers often choose black for its aggressive SUV stance, luxury buyers see it as a marker of formal prestige, despite higher heat absorption and maintenance challenges in India’s hot climate.

 

In the mass market, white remains the “utility king” for its thermal efficiency and strong resale value, Bhatia said. By reflecting more solar radiation, white keeps cabins cooler in peak summer, reduces the load on air conditioning, and can improve fuel efficiency. For manufacturers, it is the safest high-volume option, as it involves lower production complexity and “hides dust and minor scratches far better than darker colours”, making it well-suited to Indian roads and climate conditions.

 

In the luxury segment, Bhatia noted, white shifts from “basic” to “opulent” through pearl and tri-coat finishes, which add depth and highlight a car’s design under bright sunlight. “While black hides a car’s volume, white celebrates it,” he said, aligning it with a clean, “quiet luxury” aesthetic that looks expansive and tends to stay “showroom fresh” with relatively little effort.