- Concept applies 'Modern Solid' design language to classic 1990s ute.
- Original Felicia Fun was produced for just 3 years, in any colour as long as it was yellow.
- Designer Julien Petitseigneur aiming for spirit of 'pure fun' in new ute.
Remember when Skoda didn't take itself so seriously and served up fun, sometimes-quirky cars? It seems the brand hasn't completely forgotten its left-of-centre history, because it has embraced one of its designers reimagining the 1990s Felicia Fun ute as a side-project.
The Felicia Fun was a real production car, made between 1997-2000 - a ute version of the humble Felicia hatchback, finished in searing yellow and featuring some neat bespoke elements such as a sliding partition behind the cab and pop-up rear seats. It now has a cult following and remains one of Skoda's rarest production vehicles, with just 4200 made over three years.
All Felicia Fun models featured bright yellow bodywork, paired with colour-coded bumpers, trims, and spoilers in green, orange, or yellow. A distinctive rear spoiler on the tailgate, combined with the striking colours, made it instantly recognisable.
The Fun also featured an unusual green frog motif on the B-pillar. Although there was no official explanation why the reptile was chosen as the car’s official mascot, the unofficial reasoning from the brand was that it was a "symbol of fun, freedom, and the outdoors".
The Felica Fun was never sold new in New Zealand, but there are used-import examples on the road. We've seen 'em.
The idea behind the new concept, penned by Skoda designer Julien Petitseigneur in his spare time, was to take the Felica Fun and apply the brand's latest "Modern Solid" visual language.
At the front, the study features the Tech-Deck Face grille flanked by slim, T-shaped LED headlights. The wide stance and aerodynamic wheels are offset by chunky black bumpers, sills, and wheel arch cladding, all contrasting with the model’s unmistakable yellow bodywork.
While the rear retains the full-width spoiler of the original, the trim strip in the tailgate has been replaced by a light bar that emits pink rather than red light. Petitseigneur also chose neon pink for wheel highlights and glass tints.
Explaining what inspired him to create a rebooted version of the original, Petitseigneur says: “The original car was pure fun – it didn’t take itself too seriously, and it stood out in a way that few other Škodas ever have. For me, it was the obvious choice to reimagine in my spare time. I even found myself looking at buying an original while working on the sketches.”
A full-width dashboard screen features old-school video game-style graphics, with the screens designed in such a way that they look like a modern reinterpretation of the chunky CRT monitors familiar from the original car’s era.
Although Petitseigneur opted not to incorporate the original model’s sliding rear bulkhead and additional open-air seating, "the concept’s proportions would allow for them in a production-ready model", says Skoda.