2018 Volvo Touch Up Paint (23 OEM Colors)

The 2018 Volvo Vibe

By 2018, Volvo wasn't just "the safe choice" anymore-they were the Swedish style icons. This was the year of "Thor's Hammer" headlights and minimalist cockpits that made you feel like you were sitting in a high-end Stockholm loft. Whether you were hauling the family in an XC90 or looking sharp in an S90, the look was all about "Corporate Cool." We've tracked 23 distinct colors for this year, and while the world was obsessed with shades of slate and smoke-shoutout to Osmium Grey and Pine Gray Pearl-Volvo still had the guts to throw us a bone with "look-at-me" hues like Bursting Blue and the legendary Rebel Blue.

Paint Health Check

Here's the cold truth: 2018 falls squarely into the Thin Paint Era. Back in the day, we used to lay down enough paint to survive a sandstorm; now, the factory robots are programmed for "efficiency." They spray a coat so thin you could almost read a newspaper through it. On a 2018 S60 or V60, that beautiful finish is brittle. It's highly susceptible to "micro-chipping"-those tiny, annoying white pockmarks on the hood that show up after a single season of highway driving. If you look closely at your front bumper, you'll probably see the robots were a little stingy with the clear coat in the corners.

Restoration Tip

Because this era is all about thin, precise factory layers, you can't just slap a big bead of paint into a chip and call it a day-it'll stick out like a sore thumb. The Secret: Build your layers slowly. Apply a tiny amount, let it flash off, and repeat. You're trying to mimic that factory-robot precision by building the "depth" of the color back up to the level of the surrounding clear coat. Don't blob it; if you rush the fill, the solvents will get trapped, and you'll end up with a "soft" spot that won't hold up to a car wash.