Rental car lets kids color the upholstery

American car rental company has developed a prototype vehicle in which every surface can be colored-in to keep kids busy.

Car rental company Hertz has developed a prototype for a unique rental car – one that can keep the kids entertained on long journeys, and possibly prevent the dreaded, “Are we there yet?” The Innovation Team at Hertz have adapted a Volvo XC60 into what Hertz calls, “a moving canvas,” by covering every interior surface, from the seast to the ceiling, in a specially-developed upholstery printed with coloring book designs such as animals, flowers and – cars. The designs can be colored in and then wiped clean for the next rental.

The one-of-a-kind car recently had a trial run at the company’s London Heathrow branch, where children were brought in as ‘expert testers’ to give the car a trial run. During the trial, both children and parents expressed delight at the potential to rent the boredom-busting car in the future. Although not yet available for rental, Hertz will continue to consider customer reaction while deciding whether to roll the car out in the future.

We have see a wide variety of automotive innovations recently, from a car audio system that uses the vehicle’s interior as speakers to smart gas pedals that warns lead-footed drivers when they are wasting fuel, now there is a car that may alleviate boredom for children on long journeys. What other automotive innovations may help make car journeys more engaging?