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Fisker Karma ES: Plug-in power

The waiting is over. After some delay the Fisker Karma is set now to reach us here in Germany. The interesting combination of Tesla Roadster and Maserati Quattroporte is intended to liven things up a bit in the luxury segment of the automobile market. (Stefan Grundhoff, Florian Maier , 18.02.2012)

The upper two thousand

“It does not appear likely that electrically powered autos will establish themselves in the mass market”, says Henrik Fisker for openers, “They call on the buyers to make too many compromises and they do not want to make sacrifices.” With his Fisker Karma he has presented on wide 22 inch wheels his ecologically sustainable solution for the well-heeled. No longer must the driver with a ‘green’ conscience settle for a bland Toyota Prius with its quirky styling and very average equipment… and against the Fisker Karma the Opel Ampera has little to offer.

: The goal is to find German buyers for two thousand units per year.

Henrik Fisker was for many years designer at BMW and at Aston Martin but now he has given his name to a marque of his very own. Fisker fully intends to liven up the luxury automobile segment with his Karma. “For us Germany is the most important market in Europe”, Fisker… who now makes his home in the Malibu Hills… admits. The goal is to find German buyers for two thousand units per year. “We are fully aware than we need to do something about the car’s maximum speed. For many potential buyers 200 hundred kilometres an hour is not enough”, Fisker continues. One of the main Fisker showrooms is on the busy Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, housed in a former Lexus dealership and right next door the a Volkswagen dealer. In Germany there are to be at first eight showrooms.

: Under the long bonnet is a two-litre turbo charged four-cylinder engine producing 260 horsepower, the same power plant as in the Opel Speedster.

Eco-alibi

The Fisker Karma seeks acceptance as an ecologically sustainable sports car. Under the long bonnet is a two-litre turbo charged four-cylinder engine producing 260 horsepower, the same power plant as in the Opel Speedster. But things become more interesting when it comes to the electrical module which will most often provide the Karma’s motive traction. In the central tunnel there is a lithium-ion batter array storing 20 kWh of energy to feed the two electric motors, each with an output of 200 horsepower. The driver has the choice to make, using the paddles on the steering wheel, to select the drive mode he prefers. In the normal stealth mode the Fisker Karma is silent and driven purely by electrical power. This is good for a range of 80 kilometres and the almost five metres long auto can reach a hundred in 7.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 153 kilometres an hour.

: Re-fuelling can be undertaken at the filling station or by using the normal domestic power outlet. Using 220 volt current the procedure will take six hours. As for petrol consumption, 2.4 litres should suffice for a hundred driven kilometres.

But if the battery is getting low or the driver selects the ‘Sport’ mode then within a fraction of a second the two-litre turbo charged petrol fuelled motor springs to life and generates the electrical energy needed. Then there will also be the desired dynamism with a top speed of 200 kilometres an hour and an added 400 kilometres of range. Re-fuelling can be undertaken at the filling station or by using the normal domestic power outlet. Using 220 volt current the procedure will take six hours. As for petrol consumption, 2.4 litres should suffice for a hundred driven kilometres.

: The Fisker has had a very prominent role in the American cult comedy series ‘Two And A Half Men’ and this has given the car’s image a significant boost. Several celebrities have already placed orders.

Product placement

“It is not our intention to go head to head with luxury sedans like the BMW 7-Series, the Mercedes S-Class or the Audi A8,” Henrik Fisker admits, “Nobody can do cars like that better than the Germans. We are targeting customers who want a sporty luxury car and who have a sense of environmental responsibility.” The Fisker has enjoyed a very prominent role in the American cult comedy series ‘Two And A Half Men’ and this gave the car’s image a significant boost. Several celebrities have already placed orders… Colin Powell, Al Gore, Leonardo di Caprio or Ashton Kutcher will be found at the wheel of Fisker Karma models and their involvement will certainly help to raise the profile of the car maker.

: When running as a ‘pure electric’ the two tons that the Fisker weighs makes for sluggish progress. In ‘Sport’ mode things are rather better and response to the accelerator is more brisk. Here the low centre of gravity and the good balance of weight fore and aft are positive contributing factors.

The two drive modes work efficiently, but when running as a ‘pure electric’ the two tons that the Fisker weighs makes for sluggish progress. In ‘Sport’ mode things are rather better and response to the accelerator is more brisk. Here the low centre of gravity and the good balance of weight fore and aft are positive contributing factors. “We have driven thousands of kilometres on German autobahns and highways in Italy to make sure we have got everything right”, says Henrik Fisker, recalling four years of development and testing. As is the case with both hybrid and electrically powered vehicles braking is in two steps… first the recovery of energy and then the pressure on the brake discs. As for the steering there is a lack of sensitivity although the springing and damping have been more successfully configured. And it is indeed a lot of fun to pilot a Fisker Karma through Los Angeles and then cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway.

: From the mid-level equipment version the seats, dashboard and door linings are all finished in exclusive leathers.

The Mediterranean touch

The interior of the Fisker Karma is reminiscent of the Maserati Quattroporte… both in its good points and in its weaknesses. From the mid-level equipment version the seats, dashboard and door linings are all finished in exclusive leathers. The central console is dominated by a big touch screen and a Plexiglass module which gives the driver the impression that he is actually looking inside the battery array. But it must be said that the workmanship is not quite perfect. Clearance gaps, leather grain and trimming do not quite qualify the auto for the six-figure price segment, nor does the entertainment system. Add the fact that the turn indicators and some other controls seem to come from the sad end of the General Motors shelves.

: The back seats will prove adequate only for children. The stowage capacity is also too small for a car in this league. In contrast and Aston Martin Rapide suddenly seems like a generous people transporter.

Sad, too, is the situation when it comes to the use of the interior space which is far from what one might expect of a luxury vehicle with an overall length of 4.96 metres. Up front the central tunnel takes too much room and the back seats will prove adequate only for children. The stowage capacity is also too small for a car in this league. In contrast an Aston Martin Rapide suddenly seems like a generous people transporter. The American eco-mobile has, in common with many vans, a big glass roof. But it is not one which allows the occupants to gaze upwards and admire scudding cloudscapes… it is instead the largest solar panel ever installed in an automobile and has the function of providing the energy to cool both the car’s interior and the batteries. Henrik Fisker… “In the best case the driver will gain in a year over 300 additional kilometres of range.” The entry price for the Fisker Karma is 101,800 Euros.

The Karma is just the first Fisker to be put on the market. In the next two years the ‘Project Nina’ is intended to result in a premium segment auto which can compete with 5-Series BMW or Mercedes S-Class models. The basic concept will be retained but there will be a two-litre turbo engine from BMW on board and the idea is that the purchase price should be around fifty thousand Euros. Sales of a hundred thousand units annually are the goal. These autos will no longer come from the factory in Valmet in Finland but will be built in the former Saturn factory in Wilmington, Delaware, on the east coast of the United States.

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After some delay the Fisker Karma is set now to reach us here in Germany. Picture 1 of 11

MACHE MOTORVISION ZUR STARTSEITE

UMFRAGE

How do you like the Fisker Karma?

Strange looking and lousy value for money.

43%
Love it! I’m sold!

29 %
Of no interest whatsoever.

14 %
The look is good but the power is poor.

14 %

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