2023 Volkswagen Touch Up Paint (25 OEM Colors)

The 2023 Volkswagen Vibe

Welcome to the year of the "Nardo-clone" and the robot revolution. By 2023, the Volkswagen lineup-from the rugged Atlas and Tiguan to the electric ID.4 and the fan-favorite GTI-was swimming in a sea of sophisticated grays and high-tech tricoats. We've got 25 different shades in our database for this year alone, which is a lot of ways to say "classy." You've got your legendary Lapiz Blue for the speedsters and Moonstone Gray for the folks who want that flat, modern tactical look. It was a time when VW decided that just because you were driving a commuter Jetta or a Taos, it didn't mean you couldn't look like you just rolled out of a high-end boutique.

Paint Health Check

Here's the reality from the spray booth: we are firmly in the Thin Paint Era. Back in the day, we'd lay down enough product to practically protect the car from a low-speed collision. Now? These 2023 models are painted by robots so efficient they can probably tell you the exact cost of a single atom of Pure White. The clear coat is hard and glossy, but it's brittle and incredibly thin-often measuring less than the thickness of a post-it note. If you've spent any time on the highway in your Golf or Arteon, you've probably noticed that "peppered" look on the hood. Those aren't just badges of honor; they're stone chips that go straight to the primer because there just isn't much "meat" on the bone to absorb the impact.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2023, you have to play by the robot's rules: build layers slowly. Because the factory finish is so thin, if you try to fill a chip with one big "blob" of paint, it's going to stick out like a sore thumb and likely never level out. Instead, use a fine-tip applicator to place a tiny dot of color in the center of the chip and let it shrink as it cures. Repeat the process until the color is just below the surface, then cap it with clear. For those fancy tricoats like Opal White or Kings Red, patience is your best friend-don't rush the flash times, or you'll lose that deep, multi-dimensional shimmer that makes the 2023 palette so sharp.