Is chrome trim on the way out? (F150, luxury car, vehicle)

[Pocopsonite]

Pictures of the 2016 Jaguar XF show black exterior trim, on both black and white cars. There's hardly any chrome at all on the exterior.

Is this a trend? I haven't noticed it on other new cars. I much prefer black trim, and would love to know if it will be more widely available in the next couple of years. Particularly interested for cars in the same class as the Jaguar XF.

[Dburger]

It has been for quite some time (as in REAL chrome trim).

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Dburger

It has been for quite some time (as in REAL chrome trim).

Yep.


How long did Rip Van Winkle sleep?

[unit731]

You have to understand where chromium chromite chrome comes from.

Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) is one of the larger ones. Zimbabwe has raised prices and at times banned exports.

Chrome is used in other items such as stainless steel.

Bottom line is that it is cheaper to use paint on items that used to have some chrome.

Others will argue that car/truck customers don't want the shiny metal. Doubt that though. It's cost.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Chrome pretty much died out in the 90's for most people. The only people interested in chrome now are into bling, and oversized chrome wheels for their cars. It became more of a "ghetto" staple vs the luxury it used to be in the 60's, 70's and 80's.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by unit731

You have to understand where chromium chromite chrome comes from.

Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) is one of the larger ones. Zimbabwe has raised prices and at times banned exports.

Chrome is used in other items such as stainless steel.

Bottom line is that it is cheaper to use paint on items that used to have some chrome.

Others will argue that car/truck customers don't want the shiny metal. Doubt that though. It's cost.

I haven't had a vehicle with any amount of chrome since the 1970s. My 2014 F150 has chrome bumper inserts.

If they hadn't come with the equipment package I wouldn't have gotten them.

[viceversa]

Tons of cars I've seen has chrome trimming. Mostly luxury brands like Infinti, Tesla, etc.

[1973PINTO]

it has long been a saying in the hotrod industry " if it wont go chrome it " i hate chrome ..
[IMG][/IMG]

[Pocopsonite]

OK, maybe I didn't phrase this well. I had no idea I was no longer looking at "chrome," but rather some apparently inferior material. Regardless, my question is about the appearance. So let me try again.

If you look at the slideshow on this page: Luxury Center — Edmunds.com, most of the cars have silver-colored shiny stuff around the windows. Many also have it in and/or around the grill and/or the headlights. Some have it along the body. A few have door handles made of it. My biggest peeve is with the silver around the windows; I just don't like the way it looks against a dark color.

Contrast to this:
2016 Jaguar XF Preview - CNET!
and this: 2016 Jaguar XF First Drive: Video. See slide show, then scroll down for even more, to see how conspicuous by its absence is the silver-colored shiny stuff. I *love* the way this car looks.

What I'm hoping is that by a year from now, some of the other makes/models I like might be available with black trim around the windows. (I have admired the Dodge like that, but it's not right for me.) From what some of you have said, chances are good?

[mkarch]

Sport models black out the "chrome". It's been a trend for a long time to signify performance over looks by blacking out the chrome on sport/luxury cars.

BMW for instance has 'shadow lined' the M Sport package models for the better part of 2 decades.