Hyundai enters matte paint skirmish

Hyundai is the latest brand to offer a matte exterior paint colour option for one of its models - in this case the new Veloster SR Turbo coupe – but warns potential buyers it needs to be treated with care.

In fact, the turbocharged coupe’s unique Young Gun paintwork, which is a $1000 optional extra, comes with strict instructions on how to keep it clean and a warning not to subject it to an automated car wash.

Hyundai advises owners to hand-wash the unique paintwork only with mild detergent or soapy water, and says the flat paint surface – which is protected not by a traditional clear coat but a special sealant - should not be subjected to waxes, polishes or harsh detergents like dishwashing liquids and those used in car washes.

It also admits that repair/respraying costs are likely to be higher than for regular paint jobs, but suggests the low-gloss high-street-cred paint is likely to require less frequent cleaning.

Matte paint colours have been all the rage on a number of concept cars at recent motor shows and are more commonly seen on exclusive production models from German brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

BMW Australia’s first ‘satinated’ paint colour – ‘Frozen Bronze’ – is now available with the new $185,000 640i Gran Coupe for an extra $700, unless customers specify the far more expensive M Sport Package ($8700).

Available as of this week priced from $31,990 plus on-road costs, making it just $3000 more expensive than the naturally aspirated Veloster + flagship upon which it is based, the Veloster SR Turbo is available in a total of seven colours, only two of which can be had on the regular Veloster coupe launched in February – Phantom black pearl and Veloster red metallic.

Unique to the force-fed Veloster are the Young Gun matte grey, which reflects only 20 per cent of the light that hits it (rather than up to 80 per cent like the car’s other colours), plus Battle Ship pearl grey, Storm Trooper pearl silver and the model’s hero colour, Marmalade ‘cameleon’ orange, which resembles the 1997 Holden VT Commodore’s Tiger colour but flops — appearing to change colour when viewed from different directions.

Hyundai says all colours will be available for the foreseeable future and has confirmed that a second, darker matte grey colour will also become available for the Veloster SR Turbo later this year. However, it warns that both special colours will be produced only in limited batches and that availability will therefore be limited.

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