Classic Felicia Fun utility vehicle gets a modern makeover by Skoda designer, yet the beloved frog symbol seems to be missing.

The French designer Julien Petitseigneur has breathed new life into the classic 1990s pickup truck, the Felicia Fun ute, by applying the contemporary "Modern Solid" design idiom. Originally produced by Skoda from 1997 to 2000, the Felicia Fun ute was a rare production vehicle, with only 4200 units made.

The original Felicia Fun ute was known for its vibrant searing yellow body, colour-coded bumpers, trims, and spoilers in green, orange, or yellow. It also boasted a distinctive rear spoiler on the tailgate. Fast forward to the present, and Petitseigneur's reimagined concept retains the full-width spoiler of the original but replaces the trim strip in the tailgate with a light bar that emits pink light. Neon pink is also used for wheel highlights and glass tints.

The front of the new concept features a wide stance, aerodynamic wheels, and contrasting black bumpers, sills, and wheel arch cladding. It showcases a Tech-Deck Face grille and slim, T-shaped LED headlights. The full-width dashboard screen in the new concept features old-school video game-style graphics, harking back to the chunky CRT monitors from the original car's era.

Petitseigneur was inspired to create a rebooted version of the original Felicia Fun ute due to its fun and distinctive nature. He aims for a spirit of 'pure fun' in the new ute. Although the new concept does not incorporate the original model's sliding rear bulkhead and additional open-air seating, Skoda suggests that the concept's proportions would allow for them in a production-ready model.

Interestingly, the green frog motif on the Felicia Fun ute was a symbol of fun, freedom, and the outdoors. This motif adorned the B-pillar of the original vehicle. Despite the Felicia Fun ute never being sold new in New Zealand, used-import examples can be found on the road.

The Felicia Fun ute was a ute version of the Felicia hatchback, and this rebooted version promises to deliver the same fun-loving spirit in a modern package. The application of Skoda's latest "Modern Solid" visual language ensures that the new concept is both stylish and contemporary, while still paying homage to its iconic predecessor.

Classic Felicia Fun utility vehicle gets a modern makeover by Skoda designer, yet the beloved frog symbol seems to be missing.