Whilst white used to be a free colour choice from manufacturers, figures from cap hpi reveal that eight out of the top 10 new car models ordered in 2015 added an extra premium of at least £250 to go a whiter shade of pale.
However, one in five new cars sold in 2015 was white, making it the most popular colour for car buyers for the third year running. For those who want a car that looks pure as the driven snow, but for a lesser price, cap hpi puts the spotlight on those models which still come with an option to have white for free.
Last year, over 2.6 million new cars were registered and more than half a million of them (21.4%) were white, reported the SMMT. Indeed, the popularity of white has grown by over 2%, since 2014. However, cap hpi analysis of the new car market reveals that the only two models in the 2015 top 10, offer white as a no-cost option; the Audi A3 and the Mini Hatchback.
Among the models that are offered in white as a ‘premium’ option, the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus are the cheapest at £250 extra. Next comes the Volkswagen Golf at £260 and then the Vauxhall Corsa at £275 for plain white, but metallic white comes at a hefty premium of £545.
“It’s interesting to see that manufacturers have noticed the rising popularity of white cars here in the UK. As it’s become more desirable, it makes business sense for manufacturers to start charging extra for the snowy tones,” explains Mark Norman, Managing Consultant and Chief Residual Value Optimisation Analyst of cap hpi.