Karma is deja vu with 2017 Revero
If you are experiencing deja vu, well that’s Karma. The defunct Fisker Karma is now the Karma Revero.
It costs twice as much as a Tesla and four times as much as a Prius, but Karma Automotive is hoping its $130,000 Revero plug-in hybrid sedan will be equally successful.
The first 20 ultra-luxury Revero sedans have just headed to customers who preordered the vehicle, and to a handful of dealerships in the U.S. and Canada.
Karma Automotive is built from the ashes of Fisker Automotive, launched a decade ago by Henrik Fisker, the widely respected former designer for Aston-Martin and Jaguar, who named his first model the Fisker Karma.
After delivering around 1,500 vehicles in 2011 and 2012, the Fisker car company crashed and burned in 2013, partly due to the recession. While Fisker Automotive did not survive, Fisker’s overall design for a sport performance luxury Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is alive and well in the new Revero.
My own personal favorite feature is its solar glass roof that can actually power things, such as cabin cooling and extend battery life for speed and power. Karma claims the Revero solar roof is efficient enough to generate up to 1.5 miles of electric range a day.
The 2017 Karma Revero looks like an updated 2012 Fisker Karma, with the same long, tapered hood, broad-shouldered front and rear fender lines, and a trunk that looks barely big enough for a carryon. Inside, both models feature top-shelf creature comforts and technology.
The rear-wheel-drive hybrid Revero has a 260-horsepower, four-cylinder turbocharged internal combustion engine. Total combined power output is 403-horsepower. Revero has a 50-mile all-electric range and a 300-mile total range. The Revero is powered by a 260-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder General Motors engine, but more powerful lithium-ion batteries give it a 50-mile EV range.
EPA mileage is similar to original Karma at 55 city/54 highway mpg. The new model shaves about a second off the Karma’s 0-60 mph time, to 5.4 seconds, and is quieter than its predecessor.
Engineers tweaked the batteries so they can recharge on a regular 120-volt home socket in 12 hours, or suck up 80 percent of power in less than 30 minutes on a quick-charge unit. Revero also replaced the original infotainment system, which Karma customers complained about. The new system has a dedicated 4G connection for live traffic updates and Apple CarPlay.
In other EV and PHEV models, drive modes have simple and recognizable names: Eco for pure EV driving. Normal for gas now plus electric propulsion when needing accelerated power for highway merges or driving uphill. Revero, however, calls them “Stealth” and “Sustain.” You be the judge whether that’s too clever or too cute for the price. At least they left Sport mode alone.
Karma is taking showroom space in dealerships in eight cities selling ultraluxury imports such as Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini, because it appeals to the same customers who want luxury, performance, and bragging rights.
Karma is branding the Revero as a “date night car” that’s “inspired by nature,” and the company website is loaded with beautiful photos and videos of the car zooming around gorgeous landscapes, but few facts. Luckily, the limited customer base for a six-figure date night matches current production limitations.
Karma Revero is built in Moreno Valley, California. There are dealerships in Pasadena, Fort Worth, Atlanta, Miami, Palm Beach, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Montreal, with more to be added as needed.