Skoda Shade Change

"Fabia drivers who find themselves in a blue mood, pretty in pink or simply seeing red can now change the colour of their car at the touch of a button. ŠKODA has created the world’s first ‘on the move’ colour-change system that allows motorists to alter the hue of individual panels via a new menu on the touchscreen infotainment system.

A further extension of the Fabia’s acclaimed Colour Concept system – a £500 option that allows buyers to mix and match body, roof and wheel colours – the ShadeChange™ feature is set to bring a whole new world of technicolour variety to ŠKODA drivers.

To change panels, owners simply select the panel they want to change on the infotainment screen and then choose the colour from the palette. The Fabia’s advanced electronics handle the rest of the process – changing the colour immediately.

The revolutionary system has been developed by a team of ŠKODA engineers led by Professor Dr Gio Kyng of Prague University. Each panel is coated with a microscopic layer of unobtainium – a newly discovered element that changes colour when a small electrical charge is applied to it.

“Customers are no longer limited to the colour they choose when they order the car,” Explains Dr Kyng. “When drivers are feeling in a jolly, spring-like mood, they can switch the whole car to a bright yellow. On the other hand, if they are feeling sad because their cat is unwell, they can switch it to black.”

The ŠKODA ShadeChange™ technology is in final development phase and will be available to customers shortly. Meanwhile, the all-new, award-winning Fabia hatch and Estate are in retailers now with prices starting from £10,600."