Henrik Fisker has designed some of the best-looking cars on the road, but from a week tomorrow — the first day of series production — he’s going to be building and selling them, too. Backed by a billion US government and private investor dollars, the Danish designer of the BMW Z8 roadster and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is firing up a range of hybrid cars under the banner of the California-based Fisker Automotive.
The first is the Fisker Karma four-door luxury saloon. Looking like a more aggressive Maserati Quattroporte, the Karma has curves that hide a drivetrain that not only matches the Italian’s for power, but does so while emitting less CO2 than a Toyota Prius. It manages this by having a 20kW battery that drives two electric motors with a combined 403bhp which can propel the car to 95mph and run for more than 50 miles. A 2-litre 260bhp turbocharged four-cylinder engine powers the generator that charges the battery and boosts the motors if you want to go further or faster. The top speed rises to 125mph with the engine running and the range stretches to more than 300 miles.
With a wheelbase as long as a Mercedes S-class, the width of a Porsche Panamera and the height of a Porsche 911, the aluminium space-framed Karma is low and wide. It rides on 22in wheels, but specially made Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres ensure these giants don’t ruin the ride quality. The handling is unexpectedly sharp despite a kerb weight approaching 2,500kg. The speed-sensitive electrohydraulic steering is responsive, and you can fling the car about like something half its size. It’s a pleasant surprise.
Built in Finland, the Karma has a fit and finish as good if not better than its German and Italian rivals. Inside, it is snug rather than spacious. The steering wheel has two paddles — the left one is for toggling between “stealth” (electric only) and “sport” (plus petrol engine) modes; the right is a switch that saves energy from braking to help recharge the battery. Being electric, the Karma has just one gear.
The materials inside are supposedly eco-friendly, from the “responsibly sourced leather” to the reclaimed vintage wood. There’s even an animal-free interior option called EcoChic. In a lesson to other luxury car makers, the main controls are accessed via a touchscreen that resembles a well-laid-out website and makes everything from turning on the stereo to changing the temperature simple.
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The only obvious problem with the Karma is the boot, into which you could squash a couple of holdalls but not much more. If you need more space, there’s a shooting-brake version — a cross between an estate and a coupé — debuting next year alongside the Sunset convertible. So the Karma is fast, frugal, gorgeous-looking, comfortable and fun to drive. It must cost more than the competition, right? Wrong. A Karma costs from £73,565. With petrol prices rising, the Karma may be not just the emotional choice but the rational one, too.
A Fisker video explaining the technology that powers the Karma: