More than eight out of 10 motorists are driving the wrong car colour for their personality, according to new research.
That’s the surprise finding of a pan-European study by Nissan, which reveals that 86% of those polled made an incorrect choice in the showroom.
Vibrant shades should be top choices, not conservative colours such as black, silver and grey.
Yet, despite more personalisation options than ever before, more than half of drivers play it safe with neutral choices.
Nissan has turned to technology and developed an innovative Facebook Chatbot, in conjunction with acclaimed colour psychologist Karen Haller, to help buyers find their perfect car colour match.
The study was carried out by Nissan to celebrate the personalisation options on the all-new Micra hatchback.
It found approximately a third of those surveyed should have opted for more striking shades like orange instead of traditional grey and black, based on their personality type.
Both the research and Chatbot were developed using Karen’s expertise in the field of colour psychology. With more than 20 years’ experience, she has worked with many global brands to understand the colour choices consumers make.
The all-new Nissan Micra is a car that’s perfect for consumers seeking to express bold colour choices. It’s available in 10 bold exterior colours, including the vibrant Energy Orange and Pulse Green.
On sale since March this year, approximately 22% of Micra customers are personalising their car – more than originally forecast.
“Social factors come into play with colour choice,” said Karen Haller. “For example, in times of economic uncertainty, it’s common for people to play it safe and pick a car with a neutral palette – such as black, white or grey. So I’m not surprised that two-thirds of motorists are driving more conservative shades.
“Often colour choices are based around aspirations and black is often seen as an aspirational colour, associated with high-end technologies and innovative brands. It may be that far from playing it safe, they are choosing what they perceive as the finer things in life.”