2017 Karma Revero To Start At $130,000
The recent Karma Revero unveiling event in Huntington Beach, California, provided us with a lot of new information about the plug-in hybrid, which will soon be available for order.
In particular, we now know the starting price, the charging capabilities, the battery pack size, that there’s been a major update to the maligned infotainment system, and the capabilities of the signature solar photovoltaic (PV) roof.
To start off with that, most of the earlier speculation was right — it’s essentially just for show, and nearly useless. The press materials state that “the solar roof can generate up to 1.5 miles of electric range per day, depending on weather conditions.” There’s not much reason to say anything else on that count, so onwards. …
The starting price for the Karma Revero will reportedly be $130,000 — a big increase from the starting price of the Fisker Karma (which started at $103,000). Notably, there won’t actually be many options available, though, so most purchase prices aren’t likely to be too much higher than the starting price.
Autoblog shares: “Just like the Fisker, the Revero uses a 260-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine from General Motors. But on the electrical side, things have gotten better. DC fast-charging at 40 kW is now available and the on-board charger has been upgraded from 3.3 kW to 6.6 kW. The battery is similar (it still uses A123 cells, which isn’t a surprise), but the capacity has been increased from 20.4 kWh to 21.4 kWh, which will be good for 50 miles or range. The 0–60 time has been dropped by a second to 5.4 seconds in Sport mode. Nothing has been finalized yet, but apparently Karma expects the EPA fuel efficiency numbers to be roughly the same as before.”
Of particular note to some, owing to how hated the original was, the infotainment system has been overhauled. To deal with the fact “that the old system was so slow that there were many cracked screens from people pushing too hard,” the company “partnered with Rightware and used the Kanzi UI design software to create the new high-definition cluster and touchscreen.”
The new system reportedly provides a “highly responsive and engaging user experience with integrated access to HVAC and Infotainment functions, making them easily accessible with just a few touches. The system runs at a solid 60 frames per second and responds to touch instantly.”
A couple of other points: the Revero will offer Apple CarPlay; there will be a 4G connection; there’ll be a new navigation system including traffic data; and over-the-air updates will be possible.
Those interested can order now via the company’s scattered dealers in the US, or wait until the end of the month for online orders.
All images via Karma Automotive
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