Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
You'd be excused if you lost track of what happened to the Fisker Karma, the single product Henrik Fisker's former company managed briefly to put on the market.
The Fisker Karma was a very unappealing hybrid drivetrain (electric range-extended, to be more precise, much like the Chevy Volt) enclosed in a very sexy four-door coupe/GT body. The exterior design wasn't to everyone's taste, but it definitely stood out among the rest of the models available at that time.
We're talking about 2011, two year before the Tesla Model S launched and slowly but surely became the face of green cars that have a bit of luxury added to them. During its short existence, the Fisker Karma received backing from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, but that didn't prove to be enough.
Henrik Fisker bailed out once the company lost its sole battery supplier, and was forced to go bankrupt. Chinese auto parts conglomerate came to the rescue and bought the design rights and some assets of the former Fisker Automotive, with the intent of relaunching the Karma one way or another.
The Chinese did it in 2016 when the 2017 model year Karma Revero was put on sale. The vehicle had the same design and pretty much the same powertrain. That meant 403 hp of electric power delivered to the rear wheels and a maximum battery-powered range of 50 miles (80 km). For longer trips, the Revero relies on its 260 hp four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine to charge the battery on the go.
Our spy photographers have just caught a camouflaged Karma Revero testing for the first time, pointing out the 2011-old design might finally be getting a facelift. The funny part, though, is that its appearance is the last thing the Revero needs changed if it wants to become competitive.
The car is currently priced at $130,000, which is dangerously close to the price tag of the top-of-the-line Model S, the P100D. The only two areas where the Karma stands a chance are design (subjective) and build quality. In every other respect (including maximum range, even though the Revero also burns gasoline), the Tesla either beats it, or sends it into oblivion.
We have no idea what the Chinese are planning for this facelift, but it better be more than new bumpers and headlights. Because if it isn't, then this troubled company might have to find another buyer over a few years as it's once again headed for bankruptcy.
Worst case scenario for finding out more information on the Karma Revero is waiting until 2019, when the revamped model is due to be released. Hopefully, though, we'll be able to squeeze out something before that so we can at least know if it's worth paying any attention to the project or not.
We're talking about 2011, two year before the Tesla Model S launched and slowly but surely became the face of green cars that have a bit of luxury added to them. During its short existence, the Fisker Karma received backing from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, but that didn't prove to be enough.
Henrik Fisker bailed out once the company lost its sole battery supplier, and was forced to go bankrupt. Chinese auto parts conglomerate came to the rescue and bought the design rights and some assets of the former Fisker Automotive, with the intent of relaunching the Karma one way or another.
The Chinese did it in 2016 when the 2017 model year Karma Revero was put on sale. The vehicle had the same design and pretty much the same powertrain. That meant 403 hp of electric power delivered to the rear wheels and a maximum battery-powered range of 50 miles (80 km). For longer trips, the Revero relies on its 260 hp four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine to charge the battery on the go.
Our spy photographers have just caught a camouflaged Karma Revero testing for the first time, pointing out the 2011-old design might finally be getting a facelift. The funny part, though, is that its appearance is the last thing the Revero needs changed if it wants to become competitive.
The car is currently priced at $130,000, which is dangerously close to the price tag of the top-of-the-line Model S, the P100D. The only two areas where the Karma stands a chance are design (subjective) and build quality. In every other respect (including maximum range, even though the Revero also burns gasoline), the Tesla either beats it, or sends it into oblivion.
We have no idea what the Chinese are planning for this facelift, but it better be more than new bumpers and headlights. Because if it isn't, then this troubled company might have to find another buyer over a few years as it's once again headed for bankruptcy.
Worst case scenario for finding out more information on the Karma Revero is waiting until 2019, when the revamped model is due to be released. Hopefully, though, we'll be able to squeeze out something before that so we can at least know if it's worth paying any attention to the project or not.
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