In cars, black is the
new black

Luxury car makers have discovered something new. It’s called black. Of course, it’s not new at all but, when reinventing the wheel feels like hard work, repainting it can seem almost revolutionary. In 2025, some of the most exclusive badges in motoring have gone all-in on what’s being described as bold, stealthy, and rebellious. In reality, they’ve gone back to basics. Back to black.

At the centre of this makeover is the Range Rover SV Black, which its makers call “the darkest, stealthiest Range Rover ever created.” The language is breathless, but the result is more calculated: Narvik Gloss Black covers the body, the grille, the 23-inch wheels, brake callipers, bonnet lettering, and even the oval badge. The interior is another exercise in monochrome control: Near-Aniline Ebony leather, black birch veneers, and a satin black ceramic gear shifter. The seats are stitched to within an inch of their lives, now in single-panel form “for a luxurious new finish with fewer stitch lines and seams”.

In theory, it’s minimalism. In practice, it’s a maximalist’s fantasy dressed in restraint. Range Rover frames it as a design ideology. “Every detail meticulously appears as if dipped in black mirror gloss,” the brand proclaims.

The same treatment extends to the Range Rover Sport SV Black, which leans even harder into the “stealth performance” trope. Gloss black forged wheels, a carbon fibre bonnet, black ceramic branding, and even black quad exhausts.

“Range Rover Sport SV Black represents the essence of sporting luxury; a statement of audacious rebellion,” says Martin Limpert, global managing director of Range Rover. It’s unclear who the rebellion is against, but the pricing, from R3,671,500, suggests it’s not aimed at the establishment.

Performance is, predictably, intense. The 467kW, 750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 takes the Sport SV Black from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, topping out at 290km/h. But from Goodwood (where it was showcased at the 2025 Festival of Speed) to Sandton, it’s designed to turn heads, not corners.

The blackout treatment gets even louder – not to mention heavier – with the Defender OCTA Black. Described by Land Rover as “the toughest, most capable and most luxurious model in the Defender family,” it embraces the full visual toolkit: Narvik Black again leads the way, with an optional matte wrap, 30 blacked-out exterior elements, gloss black tow eye covers, and satin black scuff plates. It is Defender, dipped in ink.

“There’s no denying the presence and purpose of Defender OCTA,” says Mark Cameron, managing director of Defender. “The introduction of Defender OCTA Black takes things up a notch.” That notch includes quad exhausts, Shadow Atlas badging, chopped carbon fibre interior finishes, and Ebony Semi-Aniline Leather combined with Kvadrat upholstery. Just in case anyone feared this might be too subtle.

In both the Range Rover and Defender models, the darkness extends from the upholstery into the realm of tech, or what Range Rover calls “sensory wellness.”

The SV models now include Sensory Floor technology, an evolution of the Body and Soul Seat (BASS) system, which integrates vibro-acoustic feedback into the floor. In simpler terms, the carpets vibrate to the beat. Occupants are encouraged to remove their shoes and feel the music.

“Sensory Floor creates precisely synchronised pulsations in the floor,” says Range Rover, claiming that it delivers “measurable benefits… including reduced stress and anxiety, as well as improved concentration and cognitive response.”

It’s a clever gimmick, or a sensory breakthrough, depending on how you feel about being massaged by your footwells while idling in traffic. Either way, it continues the trend of high-end vehicles masquerading as mobile spas. Haptic feedback is now wellness. Gloss paint is now a philosophy.

The blackout theme has also trickled down to more modest territory – literally – with Ford’s launch of the Territory Dark Edition. It swaps chrome for satin and gloss black, adds Ebony Black 19-inch alloy wheels, and throws in Cyber Orange stitching on the leather seats for contrast. There’s even a black “Territory” badge on the boot. It is clearly aimed at buyers who want a hint of brooding sophistication without spending over R5-million.

“The Territory Dark Edition is a compelling addition to the family-focused Territory line-up,” says Sunil Sewmohan, executive director of product marketing at Ford South Africa. “It takes the compact SUV’s modern design and styling up a notch, while offering exceptional value for money.”

Translation: the dark trim package replaces the Titanium model, and makes the SUV look a little more serious.

Audi and Volkswagen are also deep into their own blackout phases. Audi’s A4, Q5, and Q2 lines now come in formal “Black Edition” trims in South Africa, complete with blacked-out badging, wheels, and trim. VW’s performance models haven’t escaped either, although not yet in South Africa: the new Golf R Black Edition features forged wheels and carbon-fibre accents, while the ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs offer Black Edition packages with gloss-black exteriors and upgraded interiors. Even the Tiguan has its own Black Edition badge.

The packaging plays to a growing appetite for subdued flamboyance. Buyers want their opulence served with a side of understatement. 

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-Chief of Gadget.co.za and author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI.