Instant Karma: Fisker Returns in Body, But Not in Name

Rising like the Phoenix from the ashes of bankruptcy, the Fisker Karma has been reborn as the Karma Revero.

Karma Automotive, the company created by China’s Wanxiang Group after buying Fisker Automotive’s assets, just released images and video of the sort-of new Revero. The lightly refreshed plug-in hybrid luxury sedan has all the style of its short-lived predecessor, with an added bonus: reliability (or so the company hopes).

Reservations open to the public on September 8, according to a countdown clock on Karma’s website. The California-based company didn’t list a price or specifications, but we know the general layout will stay the same. Chief engineer Kip Ewing told Road & Track in June that the Revero would simply be a higher-quality version of the Fisker Karma.

The original Karma was powered by two electric motors driven (through a generator) by a turbocharged 2.0-liter General Motors four-cylinder. We know that Karma now sources its electrical components from BMW, which should help avoid the headline-grabbing reliability issues that plagued the original.

Expect a new infotainment system and a solar roof that actually delivers the goods. The company claims the new roof “will create enough energy to power the car,” something the previous roof didn’t. That doesn’t mean you can forget about the charging station in your garage — the roof will probably be good for just a handful of extra miles a week in sunny weather.

Current Fisker owners demanded a functional solar roof in the reborn model, according to Karma, making the Revero the first vehicle to offer the feature. That gives Karma some industry bragging rights.

Also unique is the Revero’s hand-painted badge, another industry first. “Consider it a small but symbolic statement about craftsmanship and individuality,” the automaker said on its website, eager to sound like a trusted purveyor of luxurious eco-chariots.