Ceramic Coating
Long-term paint protection after proper preparation.
Ceramic Coating in Kent
Project • Ashford, Kent
Mercedes GLE — New Car Protection in Kent
Ceramic coating, wheel and glass protection, and paint protection film applied to a brand new Mercedes GLE before it had covered any real mileage — carried out at our studio in Ashford.
- Ceramic Coating
- Wheel & Glass Protection
- PPF
- New Car Protection
The Vehicle
Protected From New
This Mercedes GLE new car protection project began the moment the vehicle arrived with us — brand new, before it had covered any meaningful mileage. Rather than waiting for the first stone chip, the first automatic car wash swirl, or the first watermark on the glass, the owner chose to have the vehicle protected from the start.
New car protection is a slightly different job from correction work on an older vehicle. There is little or no existing damage to remove, so the emphasis shifts to preparation and coverage — making sure every surface that will take wear over the coming years is properly protected before it has the chance to.
What was protected
- Paintwork — ceramic coating
- Wheels — face and barrel, removed for full coverage
- Glass — ceramic coating
- Interior screen — paint protection film
- Gloss exterior trim — paint protection film
The Work
What We Did
Preparation, then protection across paint, wheels, glass and the trim most likely to mark early in a new car's life.
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Wash & decontamination
A full exterior wash, chemical decontamination and a clay bar treatment, the same starting point we use on every vehicle regardless of age — new cars pick up contamination in transport and storage before an owner ever sees them.
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Polishing & panel wipe
The paint was machine polished to bring out clarity and gloss, then wiped down with a panel wipe to remove any polishing oils before coating — oils left on the surface stop a coating bonding properly.
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Ceramic coating — paint, wheels & glass
Gyeon Base and Top Coat were applied to the paintwork. The wheels were removed from the vehicle so a CarPro DLUX coating could be applied properly to both the face and the barrel — the inside of the wheel is one of the first places brake dust takes hold, and it cannot be coated properly with the wheel still fitted. The glass was treated with a Gtechniq coating to improve water behaviour and make ongoing cleaning easier.
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PPF — screen & gloss trim
Paint protection film was fitted to the interior infotainment screen and across the gloss exterior plastics — the B-pillars, D-pillars and around the rear tailgate — areas that mark easily on a new car and are expensive to put right once they do.
The Result
Finished
Photographed at the studio in Ashford once the work was complete.
Questions
New Car Protection Questions
Should I protect a brand new car straight away?
It is generally the best time to do it. A new car has no existing damage to correct, so protection goes straight onto clean paint rather than sealing in swirls or contamination that are already there. It is also usually the cheapest point in a car's life to protect it, since there is little or no correction to pay for first.
Does a new car really need decontaminating?
Yes. New vehicles pick up contamination during manufacture, transport and dealership preparation before an owner ever takes delivery. Coating over that contamination traps it under the coating rather than removing it, so it is decontaminated first regardless of how new the car is.
Why coat the wheel barrels as well as the face?
The barrel and the back of the spokes take the worst of the brake dust, and they are almost impossible to coat properly with the wheel still on the car. Removing the wheels means the whole thing can be protected, not just the visible face.
Is PPF on the interior screen worth it?
For a screen you touch every journey, yes. It protects against scratching from rings and phones, and it also reduces fingerprint marking — useful on the one interior surface you deliberately put your fingers on.
How long does new car protection take?
It depends on how much of the car is being covered. A full package like this one — paint, wheels, glass and PPF — typically keeps a vehicle with us for more than a single day, partly because coatings need proper curing time between stages.
Can this be done on any new SUV?
Yes — this combination of ceramic coating, wheel and glass protection and PPF suits most new vehicles, not just this one. The exact areas covered depend on what you want protected and how the vehicle will be used.
Interested in Similar Work?
Services Used on This Project
Paint Protection Film
Targeted film protection for high-contact areas and interior screens.
Paint Protection FilmCar Detailing
Full exterior and interior detailing at our Ashford studio.
Car Detailing in KentGet in Touch
Just Taken Delivery of a New Car?
Tell us what you have and what you would like protected. We will recommend the right combination of coating, film and preparation and quote you for it.