JVC brings back disappearing car stereo

In-car technology is taking on a new look at CES this week and, with the help of JVC, you could see something that makes you say "wow" all over again.

JVC has officially brought back its well-regarded El-Kameleon series of car-ents systems that feature gesture recognition and proximity sensors that allow the dash to fade to black.

Hands off my JVC

The buttonless single-DIN sized stereo is blacked out when it's idle to prevent theft. But once its built-in proximity sensor recognises the presence of a hand, it illuminates the video display and touch-screen control panel on the driver's side of the faceplate.

According to the company, the KD-AVX44 will come with a 3.5-inch colour display that can play back both DVD and DivX video formats, as well as output from video iPods through JVC's KS-U20 cable. Beyond that, the stereo will support CDs, MP3 and WMA.

Even better, it's capable of playing digital audio from USB drives and iPods, which can be plugged into the system through its USB 2.0 port. Look for the EL Kameleon KD-AVX44 to hit the shelves in March with a price tag of $549.95 (£275).