Grey tops the charts for favourite new car colour of 2023

Fancy a new set of wheels? Based on recent findings, we’re placing our bets on grey for your new car colour.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) show that grey was the most popular new car colour in the UK for 2023.

This is the sixth year running that grey has held the position, proving that Brits are still preferring monochrome motors over colourful alternatives.

The UK’s most popular colours for new cars: 

2023 was the best year the new car market has seen since the pandemic. So there was plenty of potential for another colour to edge out grey for favourite.

However, the figures show that Brits still choose greyscale gradients above brightly coloured alternatives, with 63.5% of all new cars joining UK roads being either grey, black or white.

With a market share of 26.8% of all new vehicles, more than half a million (509,194) grey cars were registered in 2023. This is a volume increase of 22.6% over the previous year, indicating its popularity is still on the rise.

Black came in second place and white in third place for the sixth year running too, with sales reaching the highest figures since 2019. 

Colourful options scaling back: 

New motors sporting rosy hues like maroon, pink and cream also took to UK streets in 2023, but to a far lesser extent, with only 604 registrations on record.

And compared with the previous year’s volumes, bolder colours like orange (down 14%) and bronze (down 18.6%) fell in popularity.  

Green, however, made a surprising comeback, and reached its highest volume since 2005 at 53,426 units with a market share of 2.8%. This could reflect our nation’s growing eco-friendly mindset. (Although the more sustainable choice – EVs – tend to be painted grey.) 

SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, said: “2023 was a bumper year for the British new car market, as buyers continued to gravitate towards familiar monochrome hues for another year – even as ever more motorists embrace new technologies.” 

“Car manufacturers have diligently expanded their offerings, with a huge selection of colour options available across hundreds of models and thousands of specification options. 

“The extensive variety allows drivers flexibility in choosing a tint that embodies their individuality and style.” 

In the market for a new car? With your ideal colour in mind, check out these new vehicles hitting the roads in 2024.