Do darker colours absorb more heat? We test it out with Perodua Myvis under the hot Malaysian sun

While a vehicle purchase is largely made on the basis of design, tech and branding, buyers also tend to be pretty partisan about exterior colours because, well, it’s going to be that dress you’ll be looking at every day, for a good while.

A preference for a particular shade is mostly down to taste, but expression – or lack of it – also determine why people choose car colours the way they do. Safe, flashy, not calling attention to yourself, shouting out for the world to see, take your pick – there’s something that’s bound to work for you, like the clothes you wear, an expression of your individuality.

Some also work better than others at keeping you cool in this particular tropical climate, which is more often than not brain-melting hot. Coming back to a parked oven after it has been basking under the sun for hours isn’t new, but did you know that the level at which you – and your vehicle – bakes can be alleviated or amplified by its colour?

Simply put, much of it is down to how colours work in reflecting or absorbing the wavelengths of light that they are exposed to, with the level of associated energy being converted into heat. You’ve probably experience it in clothes you’ve worn – hotter in black (and we don’t mean visually), cooler in white.That’s because darker shades such as black absorb all wavelengths of light, while lighter shades such as white reflect them.

The same principle applies everywhere, and metal, being a rather good conductor, means that car surfaces retain heat far better than say, the fabric clinging to your body. While glass and cabin materials – and their colour – play a part in defining interior temperatures, thermal soak contributed from radiating external surfaces also contribute to it, given enough time under the sun.

All things being equal, how much hotter is a dark-coloured car than a white one under the sun?

We put this to the test, utilising three Perodua Myvis (dark grey, white and red) and measuring (with a portable industrial thermometer) just how hot they would be – both inside and out – when parked under the sun for determined periods. All three cars did not have window film applied, and measurements were taken in the same areas, both externally and internally.

In the shade, parked under a canopy, both the dark grey and white examples had an external surface temperature reading of 38.1°C, while the red Myvi was slightly warmer at 39°C. Inside, the dark grey Mvvi registered a 34.2°C reading, while that for the red Myvi was 33.7°C, and the white was the coolest, at 33.1°C.

Next, the cars were moved away from the shade. After sitting under the sun for one hour, the external surface temperature of the dark grey Myvi had more than doubled to 74.9°C, which was 18.5°C higher than the 56.4°C reading obtained on the white car. The red Myvi sat halfway, at 67.3°C. Inside, there was less variance, with reading on the white car the lowest at 46°C, nearly four degrees less than the dark grey (49.8°C).

Switching on the air-conditioning at maximum cooling for 15 minutes brought the temperature down in the cabin, with both red and white Myvis then registering 35.9°C, while the dark grey’s cabin had gone down to 39.1°C. External readings, meanwhile, were down by nearly four to five degrees.

So, as shown by the numbers, dark-coloured cars do absorb more heat. Now, if you’re thinking of changing the colour of your vehicle to make it cooler (both figuratively and literally), why not get it done at the Carro Care body & paint centre? Carro Care’s respray service is presently running a promo where you can get your car repainted with a 40% discount! On top of that, it comes with a three-year warranty. Book your respray service here.

@paultancars Warna gelap memang buat kereta lagi panas ke? Btw, tiga2 kereta ni tiada tinted langsung ya. #paultancars #paultan #carsoftiktok #cartok #cartiktok #carro #carrocare #malaysia #viral #trending #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Paul Tan’s Automotive News

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.