2018 Kia Touch Up Paint (53 OEM Colors)

The 2018 Kia Vibe

2018 was the year Kia decided to stop playing it safe and started acting like the cool kid in the garage. This was the era of the Stinger-the car that finally gave the Germans a reason to look over their shoulders-and the ever-funky Soul. With a staggering 59 colors in our database for this year, Kia wasn't just painting cars; they were throwing a party. From the "look-at-me" glow of Alien II and Wild Orange Metallic to the sophisticated "I've-arrived" sheen of Ceramic Silver Metallic and HiChroma Red Tricoat, the palette was as diverse as the lineup itself. Whether you were hauling the family in a Sorento or carving corners in a Forte, 2018 was about bold choices and high-tech finishes.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2018, the robots at the factory had become masters of efficiency, which is a polite way of saying they started applying paint with the thickness of a soap bubble. While the finish looks spectacular under showroom lights, the reality is that these coats are prone to "Robot Efficiency" syndrome-they're brittle and thin. If you're rocking a Snow White Tricoat or Aurora Black Pearl, you might have noticed that a stray pebble doesn't just leave a mark; it takes a chunk of the clear coat with it. We've seen reports of delamination on the white pearls where the paint starts to lift in sheets because the bond between the primer and that thin top layer just gave up the ghost. It's not your fault, but it is your problem.

Restoration Tip

When you're fixing a chip on a 2018 Kia, remember: patience is your only friend. Since the factory paint is so thin, "blobbing" a giant drop of touch-up onto the panel will make it stick out like a sore thumb. You need to build your layers slowly. Apply a tiny amount, let it flash off, and repeat until the level is just below the surrounding clear. If you're working with one of those tricky Tricoats (looking at you, HiChroma Red), don't rush the mid-coat. This isn't the 70s where you could dump a gallon of lacquer on a hood and call it a day-treat it like fine art, or you'll be staring at a raised welt every time you wash the car.