For the first time in its five-year history, Axalta's Automotive Color of the Year is showcasing a color primed for vehicle customization both at manufacturing facilities and in the aftermarket. Sahara, a golden bronze tone, radiates warmth, richness and strength for vehicles of all sizes – especially the expanding global truck and SUV markets – and can serve as the principal color for two-tone possibilities including black roofs.

Borne from Axalta's ChromaDyne™ line of color coats formulated for global automotive manufacturers, Sahara is partly inspired by global trends for warmer shades highlighted in the company's Global Automotive Color Popularity Report. Yellow/gold vehicles are most popular in India and China while brown/beige vehicles increased in North America more than any other region.

Sahara is Axalta's fifth Color of the Year following Radiant Red (2015), Brilliant Blue (2016), Gallant Gray (2017), and StarLite (2018). StarLite, a pearlescent white, introduced coatings technology into the autonomous vehicle discussions. Axalta colors under development are tested for readability by autonomous sensors, and Sahara is formulated for visibility.