2012 Fisker Karma EcoChic 0-60 Times, Top Speed, Specs, Quarter Mile, and Wallpapers

The 2012 Fisker Karma EcoChic is a Rear-wheel drive Sedan. It can accommodate up to 4 passengers. It has 4 Doors and is powered by a Electric with range extending engine engine which outputs and is paired with gearbox. The 2012 Fisker Karma EcoChic has cargo capacity of Liters and the vehicle weighs 2404 kg. In terms of ride assists, the 2012 Fisker Karma EcoChic has stability control and traction control in addition to anti-lock brake system (ABS). The vehicle has an optional engine as well It offers and Rear View Camera. Safety features also include Driver side airbag and Passenger side front airbag. The front suspension is Independant Front Suspension while the rear suspension is Independent rear suspension. The car also features a It has 22" aluminium wheels as standard. Electronic features include Cruise Control. For convenience, the car has Power windows and Power door locks. There is also a remote keyless entry feature. Moreover, the car has. The steering wheel has audio control buttons. Fuel consumption is L/100km in the city and L/100km in the highway. The car price starts at $ 0

2012 Fisker Karma Used Price Estimates

The all-new 2012 Fisker Karma expands what a plug-in hybrid can be, as it promises not only fuel efficiency but also exclusivity, luxury and performance.

So how would you like a car with 402 horsepower, sexy styling and a price tag of around $ 100,000? Not interesting enough? OK, how about a 52-mpg equivalent estimate for combined driving from the EPA? That, in a nutshell, is the 2012 Fisker Karma.

Fisker is a new American company that's dedicated to building environmentally friendly luxury vehicles. The Karma, the company's first model, is a plug-in hybrid, meaning it can run for a certain number of miles (an EPA-estimated 32) on electric power before the lithium-ion battery pack runs out of juice and its gas engine/generator kicks in, extending the range by about 250 miles. The EPA figures that with the generator running, the Karma gets 20 mpg. So using the estimated electric range (32 miles) plus 1 gallon of gas (20 miles) equals the 52 "mpg-e."

As with the two other plug-in hybrids on sale this year, the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius Plug-In, the Karma's range and fuel economy greatly depends on the way you drive. We managed to achieve that 32 miles of electric range in testing, but we were driving rather aggressively. We're guessing most people will get much better, and as such, most Americans could conceivably commute in this exotic car every day without using any gas at all. We'll have to wait for a longer test to see if that 20 mpg is also on the conservative side.

Pushing the calculator aside and evaluating the car itself, we admire the 2012 Fisker Karma. It stands out with its bold styling, innovative technology and fun-to-drive nature. There's quite simply nothing else like it on the market. The plug-in Prius and Volt are similar in powertrain concept, but are radically different in design and especially price. The upcoming all-electric Tesla Model S will probably attract some of the same shoppers, but its larger electric range and lack of a range-extending engine make it a decidedly different creature.

That said, you'd be an extreme early adopter if you bought a 2012 Fisker Karma. Not only is the technology brand-spanking-new, but so is the car company itself. The cabin in particular is less polished than those found in established luxury brands, and there's a blank slate in terms of reliability. As an alternative, we recommend the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is available in two fuel-efficient guises: the S400 Hybrid (19 mpg city/25 mpg highway/21 mpg combined) and the S350 Bluetec diesel (21/31/25). There is also the Porsche Panamera Hybrid (22/30/25), which has a similar body shape and sporty driving dynamics. They may not be as green or special, but they're probably a more sensible purchase for now.

The 2012 Fisker Karma is a large four-door luxury sedan that comes in three trim levels: EcoStandard, EcoSport and EcoChic.

Standard equipment on the EcoStandard includes 22-inch alloy wheels, Brembo high-performance brakes, xenon headlights, keyless ignition/entry, rear parking sensors, a solar panel roof, heated mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, six-way power front seats (with power lumbar), heated front and rear seats, leatherette premium vinyl upholstery, real wood cabin accents, a trip computer, Bluetooth and an eight-speaker sound system with satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.

The EcoSport adds leather upholstery, a navigation system, a rearview camera and an upgraded audio system with 10 speakers. The EcoChic features all that as well as 100-percent-recycled faux-suede, other eco-friendly upholstery and wood trim reclaimed from California wildfires or the bottom of Lake Michigan.

The 2012 Fisker Karma is a plug-in hybrid. As such, it features a pair of 150kW electric motors driving the rear wheels. Electricity is stored in a 20kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The Karma can be propelled solely under electric power for an estimated average of 32 miles, at which point the 260-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine takes over, extending range by about another 250 miles. (The engine is connected to a 175kW generator and never powers the Karma directly.) There is no transmission in the traditional sense.

The Karma can be driven in pure electric ("Stealth") mode or combination electric/gas mode ("Sport") in which both battery and generator work in concert, generating 403 hp and an astounding 981 pound-feet of torque for maximum performance.

In Stealth mode, Fisker estimates the Karma can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 95 mph. In Sport mode, the 0-60 sprint time drops to an estimated 6.3 seconds and top speed rises to 125 mph.

As stated previously, the Karma is rated at 52 mpg-e by the EPA, including a rather pedestrian 20 mpg combined when the gasoline engine is running. Charge times for the battery pack range from 14 hours (for a standard 110-volt outlet) down to 6 hours (with the optional 240-volt charging station).

Standard safety equipment for the 2012 Fisker Karma includes stability and traction control, antilock disc brakes, front seat side airbags, dual knee airbags and side curtain airbags.

Those who prefer a sporty drive should be pleased with the 2012 Fisker Karma, as its performance-tuned suspension, wide track, wide tires and relatively low height endow it with an athletic personality. The steering is quick and direct, and overall the Karma corners pretty well given its size. Its enormous 22-inch wheels aid handling as well, but they do contribute to a firm ride.

Acceleration in Stealth mode is typical of electric propulsion; the car will jump off the line if you so choose, as peak torque is immediately available. Switch to Sport and the car is certainly quick, though the gas engine can get raucous under full throttle due chiefly to an exhaust that exits out of the front fenders, rather than behind the car. The regenerative brakes are strong and linear.

Below 25 mph, the otherwise quiet Karma emits an artificial futuristic buzz to warn pedestrians. It's kind of cool and certainly gets people's attention. Above 25 mph, the car quiets down, but road noise coming from the wide tires keeps the cabin from remaining completely silent. When the engine starts up, there's a noticeable amount of vibration at peak demand.

Emphasizing its environmental cachet, the Fisker Karma features a cabin decked out in recycled and renewable materials. The wood cabin accents are sourced from reclaimed lumber, seat foam is constructed of soy-based fiber and the EcoSport's leather upholstery is sourced from farms that adhere to a standard of humane animal treatment. The Karma EcoChic is "animal free," eschewing leather in favor of 100-percent-recycled (post-industry) faux-suede ("EcoSuede") and other fabrics. It's certainly environmentally friendly, but the Karma's cabin nevertheless lacks the same premium feel you'd get in a Mercedes or Porsche. Some of the plastic switchgear is a bit cheap, and it just can't match the craftsmanship those established brands have spent years and countless dollars perfecting.

From a functionality standpoint, a large touchscreen dominates the dash. Dubbed the Fisker Command Center, the interface provides intuitive controls for the audio, navigation, climate control and Bluetooth systems. As a result, dash clutter is minimized. Unfortunately, should you live in a place where the sun shines, there's a good chance you'll rarely be able to use this screen during the day -- it washes out and reflects worse than any touchscreen we've ever come across.

The Karma is strictly a four-passenger sedan, as a high central tunnel that houses the battery pack bisects the cabin. The extra-long (124.4-inch) wheelbase provides rear passengers with decent legroom, but it falls far short of every other $ 100,000 sedan. Rear headroom borders on terrible for even those of average height, with hiproom barely better than the similarly squished Aston Martin Rapide. Meanwhile, its low roof line, miniscule rear window, low-slung driving position, wide body and curvaceous front fenders make for limited visibility all around. We strongly suggest adding the optional rearview camera. Trunk space is tiny at just 7.1 cubic feet, and features gooseneck hinges that tend to crush whatever items you managed to fit inside.

The Karma has two unique drive modes, Stealth and Sport. In default Stealth mode, the Karma is meant to maximize efficiency by running on battery power. In this mode the 5,300-pound car has an adequate 0-60 mph time of about eight seconds and a top speed of 95 mph. Tug a steering-wheel-mounted paddle for Sport mode, and the gasoline engine/generator kicks on to provide additional power. In this setting the Karma can hit 60 mph in about six seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. Overall ride quality is comfortable. But the on-and-off whine of its electric powertrain is annoying. Then there remains that issue of weight. The Karma is just a really heavy car, and that mass makes itself known every time you enter a corner at moderate speed. Flingable, the Karma is not. Rear visibility suffers due to the sloping roof. Unlike other electric vehicles, recharging requires waiting a couple of inconvenient minutes after driving before plugging in so the Karma can properly shut down.

EXTERIOR STYLINGThere's one thing that almost everyone agrees on about the Fisker Karma: It looks incredible. Those windswept lines. The bulging fenders. Standard 22-inch wheels. The Karma is one of the few cars whose production model nearly mirrors its show-car concept.HAPTIC-FEEDBACK TOUCH SCREENWith its big, 10.2-inch screen, the Karma's main control panel is cool. But there's something that makes it even more special: haptic feedback. When you touch the screen, it feels like it's touching you back. This gives a kind of tactile sensation that lets you know the system is getting your message.

For a vehicle with such a large exterior, the Karma's interior feels tight, especially in back. To put it in perspective, the Fisker Karma has an exterior length of over 196 inches – that's big like a Toyota Avalon – yet its cabin is classified as subcompact. The front seats are quite comfortable, and driver and passenger can appreciate the Karma's classy-meets-sophisticated cockpit where reclaimed wood meets a futuristic touch-screen command center. It's a different story in the back seat. Due to a wide tunnel/armrest that houses the Karma's battery pack, rear seating is limited to two. And if those two are adults, they might feel claustrophobic from the Karma's steeply sloped roof and lack of foot space under the front seats. The Karma's trunk can carry a couple of small golf bags, but not much more.

There's no denying that the Fisker Karma is incredible-looking (see our Favorite Features, above). With bold, curvaceous looks and a hood that looks like it goes on for miles, the Karma seems as if it leapt from cartoon fantasy to road-going reality. All those curves that appear shaped by the wind also help this sedan look like a coupe, as do its flush-mounted door handles that enable entry with a discrete touch of the hand. At 22 inches, the Karma's wheels are huge. On every Karma's roof rests the world's largest solar panel on a car. Energy drawn from it goes to the car's 12-volt auxiliary system.

The Fisker Karma is available in three trims: EcoStandard, EcoSport and EcoChic, each differentiated by interior styling and exterior color. Base EcoStandard models are only available painted white or black, and the sole interior color is black. Moving up to the EcoSport gains multiple exterior color options and low-pigmentation interior leather in a variety of hues, while the EcoChic has environmentally friendly suede-like material. All Karmas include dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front and rear seats, 6-way power front seats, navigation and a rearview camera. The audio system in base models is a 100-watt, 6-speaker AM/FM system with USB and auxiliary inputs (no CD player). In EcoSport and EcoChic models, the audio system is 295 watts and has eight speakers. On the safety front, all Karmas have eight airbags and traction-and-stability control. One particularly interesting feature is for those outside the car: an external sound generator that creates a warbling noise to warn pedestrians that the otherwise-silent car is nearby.

With the bevy of features that come standard on the 6-figure Fisker Karma, options are sparse. They are limited to tri-tone interior leather and exterior paint treatments such as the "diamond dust" that makes the outside sparkle.

The rear-wheel-drive Fisker Karma uses a sophisticated powertrain comprised of two battery-powered electric motors and a General Motors-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. Unlike the Chevrolet Volt where the gasoline engine/generator has the ability to send power directly to the wheels, the Karma's engine works as a generator only to create electricity. The transmission is a single-speed automatic. Completely recharging the battery takes roughly 15 hours on a 110-volt outlet and about six hours using a 220-volt (Level 2) outlet. The Karma is not designed to use rapid-charge Level 3 systems. When refueling the gasoline engine, premium unleaded is required.2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 plus dual electric traction motors403 horsepower (combined)959 lb-ft of torque (combined)EPA city/highway fuel economy: 54 city/highway combined (electricity, mpg equivalent), 20 city/highway combined (gasoline)

The base price of a 2012 Fisker Karma EcoStandard is $ 103,000. EcoSport models are $ 111,000, and EcoChic versions are $ 116,000. Government tax incentives for alt-fuel vehicles such as the Karma can lower the price. While plenty of other luxury and exotic cars have 6-figure prices like the Karma, very few of them are as eco-sensitive. Still, there are green alternatives that also offer luxurious amenities and plenty of cachet. The Porsche Panamera Hybrid, for instance, attains up to 30 mpg and has a starting price of around $ 97,000. The all-electric Tesla Model S, meanwhile, starts under $ 60,000 and rises to roughly $ 106,000 in top form when fitted with a big battery pack that provides a range of up to 300 miles. Before buying, make sure to check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price below to see what others in your area are paying for the Fisker Karma. Because the Karma is a brand-new, low-volume, niche vehicle, resale value is unknown at this point in its life.

2012 Fisker Karma Consumer Reviews