Car manufacturers, in the recent past, have upped the ante to cater to an audience that wants to stand out, by offering special edition versions. In a sea of these customers are also a set who want to set themselves apart, but in a different way.
This was the cue for the arrival of matte paint options, a highlight that is now usually reserved for the top-spec trims in the sub-25 lakh segment. Unlike a metallic finish, the matte finish tends to catch one’s attention much quicker and make a statement in a space full of glossy textured mid-sized SUVs.
Take for example the recently launched Creta N Line, which offers a Titan Grey Matte finish in this performance-oriented form, priced at Rs. 20.35 lakh in its top-spec avatar. This version takes the fight head-on with the Seltos X Line diesel AT that will set you back by Rs. 20.30 lakh. Next up are the Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus Edge DSG Carbon Steel Grey Matte and Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG Matte Edition, both priced at Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 19.39 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom), respectively.
It is not just the Germans or the Koreans that plan to play this game, as Maruti Suzuki had also showcased two matte editions of the Brezza, finished in a shade of grey and blue, at the Auto Expo 2023. While these cars are yet to see the light of day, we expect they shouldn’t be far away.
While the matte paint finish does help distinguish oneself in terms of visual appeal, one thing that doesn’t work in its favour is the maintenance aspect, which, at times, could stretch to be double or even more than that when compared to traditional metallic paint schemes.