A ceramic coating won’t stop stone chips, and it won’t save you from a dirty wash mitt. What it will do is make water bead, make the car far easier to wash, and give the clear coat some protection from UV and bird droppings for a couple of years.
That’s worth having. It’s also the most over-sold product in detailing, so this guide sticks to what each maker claims, what the kits cost in Australia right now, and what people who’ve applied them say. We haven’t run our own durability test, and anyone who claims a two-year result on a product released last year hasn’t either.
Prep is the job
A coating locks in whatever is underneath it. Put it over swirled paint and you get shiny, well-protected swirls for the next three years.
Before any of these go on, the paint needs:
- A proper decontamination wash
- Iron remover
- Clay bar
- Machine polish, if there are swirls or oxidation
- A panel wipe to strip polishing oils so the coating can bond
Skip the last step and you’ve wasted the bottle. If you don’t have the wash gear yet, start with our detailing kits guide, and if you’re buying a polisher, our dual-action polisher guide covers those.
The four kits at a glance
- Gyeon Q² Mohs EVO (30ml): $129.99. Up to 36 months from one layer.
- Gtechniq EXOv5 (30ml): $121. 18 to 24 months.
- CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 (50ml kit): $140.95. 18 to 24 months.
- Gyeon Q² Syncro EVO Light (30ml kit): $179.99. Up to 50 months.
Prices are from Detail Store and Waxit, checked November 2026. Durability figures are each maker’s claim.
Gyeon Q² Mohs EVO: the first-timer’s pick
Gyeon rates Mohs EVO for 36 months or 40,000km from one layer and 48 months or 50,000km from two. It can be applied outdoors as long as you’re out of direct sun, and the panel has to stay dry for 12 hours afterwards. If you don’t have a garage, that matters.
Ian Martinez, a professional detailer writing for Detailed Image, called it among the easiest protection products he’s used. His tip is that it flashes almost immediately, so work in small sections.
The catch is volume. Detail Store buyers rate it 4.9 out of 5, but several say 30ml is tight, including one who ran short on an i30 sedan. If you’re doing anything bigger than a hatch, or want two layers, buy the 50ml.
Gtechniq EXOv5: easy and slick
EXOv5 is closer to a ceramic sealant than a hard coating. You give up some durability and get a product that’s less fussy to apply. It goes on in a single layer at anything above 5°C and needs 12 hours to dry.
Gtechniq claims 18 to 24 months. It’s $121 for 30ml or $176 for 50ml at Detail Store.
We couldn’t find an independent durability test of the v5 formula, only Gtechniq’s own claim that one layer outperforms two of the old version. Buy it for the water behaviour and the easy application, and plan to redo it sooner than the others.
CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0: the most kit for the money
CQuartz has been around longer than most and has a big following. The UK 3.0 formula is 70 per cent SiO2, and CarPro’s own figure for real-world life is 18 to 24 months.
The value is in the box. Waxit’s 50ml kit is $140.95 and includes the coating, a 100ml bottle of Reload topper, an applicator block, five suede applicators and a levelling towel. That’s enough for a large SUV, or two layers on a sedan. A 30ml kit is $110.95.
Waxit buyers rate it 4.9 out of 5 from nearly 300 reviews. It has a reputation for a shorter working window than the newer Gyeon coatings, so miss a patch while levelling and you’ll be polishing out a high spot. That makes it a better second coating than a first.
Gyeon Q² Syncro EVO Light: two stages, longest claim
Syncro is Mohs EVO as a base with Gyeon’s Skin EVO as a slick top layer, sold together. Gyeon claims 50 months or 50,000km for the pair. Like Mohs on its own, it can be applied outdoors out of the sun.
You don’t have to wait a day between layers. Gyeon says the top coat goes on as soon as the base layer has covered the whole car. It’s still twice the work.
It’s $179.99 for the 30ml kit and $269.99 for 50ml. One buyer on Detailed Image found Skin easy to apply but noticeably harder to wipe off.
Cost per month of claimed protection
Take these with a grain of salt, because they’re built on manufacturer claims. But they’re a useful way to compare.
- Mohs EVO: $129.99 over 36 months is about $3.60 a month
- Syncro EVO Light: $179.99 over 50 months is about $3.60 a month
- EXOv5: $121 over 24 months is about $5 a month
- CQuartz UK 3.0: $140.95 over 24 months is about $5.90 a month, though you get 50ml and a topper
Mohs and Syncro come out level. The question is whether you want to do one stage or two.
Which one?
No garage, first time: Mohs EVO. Buy the 50ml.
Want the easiest job and don’t mind redoing it: EXOv5.
Big car, done this before: CQuartz UK 3.0.
Want the longest gap between applications: Syncro EVO.
Paint is swirled and you’re not going to polish it: none of them. Use a decent sealant or wax until you’re ready to do the prep. On dark paint especially, a coating over swirls just makes them easier to see.
