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The hybrid Fisker Karma has been reborn as Karma Automotive’s Revero.
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The Revero has a starting price of $130,000.
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Its release date has not yet been announced.
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The hybrid powertrain has a combined output of 403 hp.
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The car accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 125 mph.
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Updates include aesthetic touches and completely new electrical and infotainment systems.
It is only fitting that the concept of rebirth (and cause and effect) comes into play so predominantly in Karma Automotive’s Revero, which launched today at an exclusive event in Southern California. The high-concept car represents a second life for one head-turning hybrid that met an untimely end as the sole model from Fisker Automotive, founded by automotive developer Henrik Fisker, who recently debuted his newly designed Fisker Force 1.
The original vehicle debuted at the North American International Motor show in 2008 as the Fisker Karma, but it did not reach customers until 2011. After 2,200 examples were produced in eight months, Henrik Fisker was forced to fold his namesake marque due to financial factors. With Fisker himself stepping out of the picture, Chinese car component conglomerate Wanxiang Group resurrected the former company, renaming it after its only model—one that now reemerges as Revero. And time has been nothing but kind to this stunner.
“The look of the car has remained just as exquisite after eight years,” says Alexander Klatt, Karma’s vice president of global design. “Aesthetically, we have just taken a few wrinkles out.”
Cosmetic enhancements to the body style include a more sculpted overall form (giving the car what Klatt refers to as greater “attitude”), a cleaner front and rear fascia, and refinements to the surfacing such as using glass for the headers.
But the reborn Revero has undergone much more than a mere nip and tuck. The car’s entire electrical system is new, as is the infotainment system, which was developed in-house. The latter features a high-definition, cluster-arranged touchscreen; a favorites functionality for repeated selections; hybrid maps; a dedicated 4G connection; support for CarPlay and Android Auto; and the ability to undergo over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics.
Aspects of the Revero that remain on par with its predecessor, however, are the power train (although it is quieter due to improvements in the traction control system) and suspension. The 2-liter, turbocharged Ecotec 4-cylinder engine pairs with twin electric motors that run on a lithium-ion battery from A123 systems (a subsidiary of Wanxiang Group). The 403 hp combination results in the ability to charge from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 125 mph. And the Revero’s batteries recharge to 80-percent capacity in only 24 minutes and enable a 300-mile range (50 miles on pure electric), one that is increased while driving thanks to the car’s signature solar-paneled roof.
Appealing to a customer characterized as the “sliver of the sliver” of affluent driving aficionados, the Revero already has a loyal fan base in place. As proof, Karma Automotive received 80 orders for the car within the first 48 hours of emailing existing Fisker owners about its impending release. Available in an exclusive assortment of paint schemes and interior trim, the Revero starts at a price of $130,000. An initial delivery date has yet to be determined. (karmaautomotive.com)
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