What is Karma?
Asides from what every skeptic of Fisker Automotive may have coming to them...
Karma, in the Fisker sense, is the luxury sports sedan that everyone has been talking about but nobody believed would make it since its debut in 2008. It seems as though the Karma fits into a class that doesn't, or shouldn't exist; well that may just be my opinion but the idea of a plug-in hybrid sports luxury sedan just does not seem like one that would work especially at a price over $100,000. Admittedly I too was, and may still be a skeptic of Fisker's Karma however asides from its odd blend of strange interior materials and styling cues, the Karma is undeniably a beautiful thing.
The exterior of the Karma can definitely be pegged as the sole reason that prompted many Karma owners to throw down over $100k to pick up the sedan in the first place. With a large hood, and arching front fenders the front end of the Karma is something elegant while at the same time it radiates its own breed of subtle aggressiveness. Its overall profile is wide, and long which seems to make its blend of elegance and aggression seem effortless. The Karma melds gracefully from front to back, building up to a back end that if placed side by side with a Jaguar XJ would put the designers of Jaguar to shame. Karma also holds subtle styling cues that would likely not be noticed by Karma buyers at first glance, but add to the allure of the Karma once discovered. Point being, the chromed exhaust tips... or at least what seem to be chrome exhaust tips at the back are actually chrome caps with "Hybrid HZ" etched in them. The actual exhaust tips lay hidden under vents behind the front wheel wells, pretty sharp if you ask me.
Asides from what every skeptic of Fisker Automotive may have coming to them...
Karma, in the Fisker sense, is the luxury sports sedan that everyone has been talking about but nobody believed would make it since its debut in 2008. It seems as though the Karma fits into a class that doesn't, or shouldn't exist; well that may just be my opinion but the idea of a plug-in hybrid sports luxury sedan just does not seem like one that would work especially at a price over $100,000. Admittedly I too was, and may still be a skeptic of Fisker's Karma however asides from its odd blend of strange interior materials and styling cues, the Karma is undeniably a beautiful thing.
The exterior of the Karma can definitely be pegged as the sole reason that prompted many Karma owners to throw down over $100k to pick up the sedan in the first place. With a large hood, and arching front fenders the front end of the Karma is something elegant while at the same time it radiates its own breed of subtle aggressiveness. Its overall profile is wide, and long which seems to make its blend of elegance and aggression seem effortless. The Karma melds gracefully from front to back, building up to a back end that if placed side by side with a Jaguar XJ would put the designers of Jaguar to shame. Karma also holds subtle styling cues that would likely not be noticed by Karma buyers at first glance, but add to the allure of the Karma once discovered. Point being, the chromed exhaust tips... or at least what seem to be chrome exhaust tips at the back are actually chrome caps with "Hybrid HZ" etched in them. The actual exhaust tips lay hidden under vents behind the front wheel wells, pretty sharp if you ask me.
Interior of the Karma seems to be a little more confused than the seemingly flawless exterior. Fabrics used in the Karma are undoubtedly of high quality, however the selection of all of these different materials to be used in unison just doesn't get my blood pumping like a sleek and sexy luxury sports sedan should once you hop in. The woven fabric covering the vertical portion of the dash is nice, but when coupled with the excess of suede, and Alcantara on the seats the inside of the Karma is all plush and soft. Now this is not to say that it is ugly, however it just does not seem to contrast well with the absolutely stunning exterior, and could use some more bold or "harder" to touch surfaces... not plastics taken from a Jeep but you get the idea. Now it is not all bland on the inside, the digital instrument cluster is very sharp and reminds you that you are in a luxury sedan different from the rest. That being said the interior of the Karma is nice... and that is all.
Under the hood the Karma has a 2.0L Turbocharged Ecotec direct injection motor, coupled with two electric motors each delivering 150kW of power and 479 pound-feet of torque. Now what does this mean when you are flooring it? Driving in the fully electric "Stealth" mode, slamming the gas to the floor will get the Karma to 97km/h in approximately 8 seconds, "Sport" mode which combines the 2.0L Turbo and the two electric motors has a claimed 0-97km/h acceleration time of 6.3 seconds.
So we know the Karma isn't the fastest, and a much cheaper BMW M3 would give it a good run for its money; but speed is not what the Karma is all about... it is aimed at delivering a good whole package. And from the mouth of a former skeptic, I think that it does just that.
Written By Michael Nardi for
http://www.dirtyrides.com
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