Test Driving The Fisker Karma

The Fisker Karma has become available after two years of delayed delivery

. The car is hefty, not only in weight but also in price, with a base cost of $103,000 and weighing in at 5,600 lbs. These are the highs of the vehicle, all the other aspects are quite disappointing.

The company that built the vehicle obtained a $169 million start up loan from the federal government. Despite its initial claims, the vehicle has a fuel economy rating of just twenty miles per gallon on premium fuel when engaging the internal combustion engine. Compared to its concept model unveiled back in 2008 during the Detroit Auto Show, the bugs and issues have been properly addressed.

The design though is low-set body with curves all throughout the body with twenty-two inch wheels and tires. It has a double-wishbone suspension and the previous issues during the design and construction have been properly addressed, as it took inspiration from luxury vehicles BMW Mark V, Aston Martin Rapide and the Porsche Panamera.

The design of the vehicle is fastback sedan masquerading as a coupe. The handlebar mustache grill though still leaves much to be desired. The interiors are low key, with very few buttons and most of the functionality is found in the 10.5-inch touch screen dashboard. The steering wheel has two paddles that engage the two driving modes of the vehicle, choosing between Stealth and Sport. In Stealth mode, it is full electric while Sport uses the gas-powered generator.

The driving position is comfortable but the seats are a bit small even for average sized individuals. The main issue is the low roofline that can result in blind spots for the driver. The interiors can either be EcoChic, which uses textile and wood trim while the Luxury would go for leather interiors.

The Fisker has many aluminum components but the sheer weight of batteries, motors and engine gives it a heavy overall load. The engine is a two-liter turbocharged four cylinder General Motors' engine. For batteries, it has a 600 lbs twenty two kilowatt hour battery array. In Stealth mode, the vehicle can accelerate to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds with a top speed of 95 mph. In Sport mode, the car can run up to 60 mph in six seconds. This is achieved with pair of motors between the rear tires that provide 400 horsepower and nearly 1,000 pound feet of torque.

by: Bobby Castro

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