2017 & 2018 Fisker Cars, Trucks & SUVs Reviews & Ratings

Fisker seemed to come into the automotive market out of nowhere in 2007, but the company was actually created in 2005 by Henrik Fisker, a college graduate of design and a former employee at Designworks, USA (which is BMW's American design studio), and a former employee for Ford, where he was luxury brand Aston Martin's lead designer. After these ventures, Fisker decided to start his own company, Fisker Coachbuild. Fisker had a novel idea: cars should harken back to the days when they were "coachbuilt," as in the early 1900s.

Drivers could buy a chassis and have it designed and bodied by the coachbuilder of their choosing. Fisker's new company took this idea and put it to use in the new Tramonto and Latigo 2006 models, which featured frameworks by BMW's 650i coupe and Mercedes-Benz SL55AMG models. But where did the actual vehicle bodies come from? Those were purely Fisker. Henrik took this idea and ran with it. When he encountered Quantum Technologies' military vehicle system, he knew it had to be brought to the market for all drivers, and in the span of a phone call, the FIsker company was born.

The Fisker company is located in Detroit, Michigan, where it has two facilities. The designs and concepts are constructed at Fisker's headquarters in Irvine, CA, however. Production vehicles are built in Finland, and they are assembled using robots. Fisker's first concept was show at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, a mere four months after the company was officially formed. Plug-in hybrid construction inside of the car's body attracted attention to the four-door sports car, which goes up to 100 miles-per-hour. One year after this vehicle's debut (it was named the Karma, by the way) the production vehicle was showcased at the same auto show, in addition to the 2011 Karma S, a convertible model. Both of these vehicles will be produced in small portions until Fisker grows more as a company.

The Fisker Karma has a starting MSRP $102,000 for the standard model, about $14k more for the upgraded model, and excels due to the choice it gives drivers: to plug-in or to gas-up. Drivers have the ability to choose between the fuel-assisted Sport Mode or the all-electric Stealth mode- a choice some drivers will very much appreciate. They can choose to be environmentally-friendly, fast, or both. The Karma's interior uses materials that have been reclaimed, can be reused, or have been recycled. Some materials include: reclaimed lumber, soy-based bio fiber, and recycled post-consumer materials. There are several different sustainable interior packages from which to choose. The largest solar roof ever to be a part of a production vehicle showcases the Karma's unique style, and technology features such as regenerative braking and a touch-screen command system make the Karma luxurious, in addition to it having such light carbon footprint.

Fisker is also currently working on several concept vehicles, which we should see soon. The company competes heavily with other luxury automakers, as well as Ford Motors, and Tesla- a company that also has eco-friendliness at the center of its concerns.