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Karma Automotive has introduced the Gyesera, its first new model in about a decade, using a plug-in hybrid platform descended from the original Fisker Karma. InsideEVs’ first-drive review reports major improvements in power and electric range but says the design, cramped rear seating and some driving characteristics still feel dated.
Karma Automotive’s Gyesera, identified by InsideEVs as a 2027 model, is the company’s first new vehicle in roughly a decade, but the first-drive review says it remains closely tied to the original Fisker Karma. The car has a more powerful plug-in hybrid system and longer electric range, yet keeps the older vehicle’s basic silhouette and tunnel-mounted battery layout, leaving questions about whether the changes justify its $139,995 price.
The Gyesera is a plug-in hybrid descended from the Fisker Karma, whose assets Karma Automotive acquired after the original Fisker Automotive went bankrupt in 2014. InsideEVs says the Gyesera continues the earlier car’s series-hybrid approach: its gasoline engine acts as a generator rather than driving the wheels directly. The newer car uses a BMW-sourced 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, paired with two electric motors at the rear axle.
According to the report, the Gyesera produces 566 horsepower, reaches 60 mph in a claimed 3.7 seconds and can travel 80 miles on electric power before its engine turns on. Its 28-kWh battery supports charging at up to 50 kW, which the report says can replenish it in about 30 minutes. Drivers can select Stealth, Sustain or Sport modes, with Sport combining electric and gasoline power.
The review describes the exterior as an evolution of the original Karma’s shape and notes that the battery remains in a tunnel running through the car’s center. That layout, combined with the low roof, limits rear-seat comfort. The reviewer also criticized the engine’s sound and lag between acceleration and rising revs, as well as unsettled behavior under braking and twitchy handling. These are the reviewer’s driving impressions, not independently established performance findings.
A Costly Test of Karma’s Progress
The Gyesera puts a high price on the question of whether substantial upgrades can make an inherited platform competitive as a new luxury car. The report credits Karma with improving electric range, acceleration and charging while making the vehicle more luxurious. But the continued constraints of the original layout affect rear-seat usability, and the review’s criticisms of the powertrain sound and road manners may matter to buyers considering a $139,995 car.
For Karma, the launch also serves as a measure of its ability to develop products beyond revisions to a platform created by another company. The reviewer says Karma executives point to the planned Amaris and Keveya as important future models. Whether those vehicles can broaden the company’s range—and establish a distinct new direction—remains to be seen.
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From Fisker Karma to Gyesera
The original Fisker Karma was a plug-in hybrid that used its gasoline engine as a generator. The vehicle’s production company, Fisker Automotive, went bankrupt in 2014; Karma acquired its assets and continued the model’s lineage with the Revero. The report distinguishes Karma Automotive from the later Fisker Inc., which made the Ocean and is a separate company.
InsideEVs describes the Gyesera as arriving about 12 years into Karma’s history and calls it the company’s first new product in roughly a decade. Although the company has changed major powertrain components and updated the car, the review says its core shape and structural packaging still reflect the earlier vehicle. The outlet also disclosed that Karma paid for the reviewer’s travel and accommodation for the first-drive event and provided meals and test cars.
“This is not a Fisker.”
— InsideEVs reviewer
What the First Drive Cannot Settle
The source is a first-drive review, not a long-term test or an independent assessment of production reliability, ownership costs or real-world electric range. The stated 80-mile electric range, acceleration figure and charging time are presented in the report, but the supplied material does not specify the testing standards or conditions behind those figures. It also does not establish how the car’s handling, braking or cabin noise compare across a wider range of drivers and roads.
The review does not provide confirmed delivery timing, production volume or sales information for the Gyesera. It also does not give firm launch dates or specifications for the Amaris and Keveya, which Karma executives describe as future products. The reviewer’s assessment of the price is an opinion; the source does not provide sales data showing how buyers are responding.
Karma’s Next Model Milestones
Karma’s next test will be whether it can bring its planned Amaris and Keveya to market with the timing and capabilities the company has indicated. The supplied report does not give confirmed launch dates or full specifications, so those details remain outstanding. Further production information and independent road tests could also clarify how the Gyesera performs beyond the initial drive and what buyers receive for its price.
Key Questions
Is the Gyesera a Fisker?
No. Karma Automotive acquired assets from the original Fisker Automotive after it went bankrupt in 2014. The report says Karma is separate from the later Fisker Inc., maker of the Ocean.
What kind of car is the Gyesera?
It is a plug-in hybrid whose gasoline engine serves as a generator, according to the report. The car can also run in electric-only mode until its battery range is used.
What range and power figures does the report give?
InsideEVs reports a 28-kWh battery, an 80-mile electric range, 566 horsepower and a claimed 3.7-second 0-to-60-mph time. The supplied material does not detail the testing conditions for those figures.
Why does the review say the Gyesera does not feel new?
The reviewer points to its familiar exterior silhouette, inherited platform and center-tunnel battery layout, which limits rear-seat space. The powertrain and performance have been updated, but the review says the underlying packaging remains recognizable.
What other Karma models are planned?
The review says Karma executives have pointed to the Amaris and Keveya as future products. The supplied report does not give confirmed launch dates or complete specifications for either model.
Source: insideevs.com
