Karma Revero Launches With Familiar Styling And Some Key Changes

The Karma Revero has been officially unveiled in the U.S., bringing to an end the will-it-won’t-it-relaunch drama which has been ongoing since the original Fisker Karma died in 2013.

Beyond a new name, the updated model has been brought to life courtesy of Chinese company Wanxiang. While the design of the car remains essentially identical to the Karma which came before it, the Revero does utilize a handful of new technologies in the firm’s hopes to make it a convincing prospect to environmentally-conscious consumers.

Beneath the skin is a turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 260 hp and sourced from General Motors, just like the original Fisker Karma. However, the Revero now includes an on-board charger that is 6.6 kW in capacity, double to that of the old car. Additionally, capacity of the battery has risen from 20.4 kWh to 21.4 kWh, enough to provide the hybrid with an electric-only rage of about 50 miles.

The Revero also now uses a more advanced solar roof which depending on weather conditions, can provide the car with up to 1.5 miles of electric range per day. While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s the first time a solar roof has been used to charge a production vehicle’s battery, rather than solely providing energy to in-car accessories.

Perhaps the biggest update is the implementation of a brand new infotainment system. With a new touchscreen and high-definition cluster, Karma says that the system runs at 60 frames per second and in the near future, will support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Furthermore, over-the-air updates is available as is a dedicated 4G connection and a navigation system with live traffic updates.

In terms of exterior styling, the Revero can’t be differentiated from the Karma but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The front-end is still dominated by a split grille with chrome accents and a shapely bumper with diamond-shaped air intakes. Elsewhere are a host of familiar body panels that combine to make the car as eye-catching as it was back in 2011.

U.S. pricing for the Revero starts at $130,000, a jump of $27,000 over the model’s original price tag.