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Karma’s Gyesera is its first new model in about a decade, but InsideEVs reports that it retains the basic structure and packaging of the original Fisker Karma. The review describes meaningful gains in electric range, acceleration and luxury, alongside cramped rear seating and driving traits the reviewer found unconvincing. Karma has not announced a wholly new platform in the supplied material.
Karma Automotive’s Gyesera, its first new model in about a decade, updates the company’s long-running plug-in hybrid but retains the basic platform and tight interior packaging of the original Fisker Karma, according to an InsideEVs first-drive review. The review credits the car with stronger performance and longer electric range, while questioning whether those improvements justify a $139,995 price.
The Gyesera continues the series-hybrid layout used by the Fisker Karma: its gasoline engine acts as a generator rather than directly driving the wheels. The review says the Gyesera uses a BMW-sourced 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and a 28-kilowatt-hour nickel-manganese-cobalt battery. Its two electric motors drive the rear axle.
According to InsideEVs, Karma quotes an electric-only range of 80 miles before the engine starts, a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.7 seconds and 566 horsepower in Sport mode. The battery supports charging at up to 50 kilowatts; the report says a full charge takes about 30 minutes. Those figures mark a substantial improvement over the original Karma’s stated 32-mile electric range and acceleration of more than six seconds to 60 mph, though the source does not provide independent instrumented test results for the Gyesera.
The review describes three selectable driving modes: Stealth for electric driving, Sustain for using the engine to maintain battery charge, and Sport for combined power. It also says the Gyesera’s roofline and battery tunnel limit rear-seat space, while much of its exterior shape and some interior elements remain recognizably tied to the earlier car. The reviewer tested the vehicle on a roughly 200-mile route outside Las Vegas and reported concerns about engine noise, braking stability and handling.
A New Model With Old Constraints
The Gyesera matters because it is a test of whether Karma can turn a legacy platform into a convincing premium car while the company works toward a broader product lineup. The review finds real engineering improvements: more electric range, quicker acceleration and faster charging than the original Karma. But those upgrades sit alongside the same fundamental packaging compromise, with a battery running through the car’s center and a low roof that restricts the rear cabin.
For potential buyers, the gap between the car’s premium price and the review’s reported shortcomings is central. InsideEVs’ reviewer said the engine’s sound and response felt poorly matched to acceleration, and described the car as unsettled under braking and difficult to trust in corners. Those are the reviewer’s impressions from a first drive, not a formal reliability assessment or a universal finding about the vehicle.
The broader business question is whether incremental revisions can sustain interest while Karma develops new vehicles. The review says company executives point to the Amaris and the long-delayed Keveya electric vehicle as key to a new era. The supplied material does not establish delivery dates or confirm that either vehicle will resolve the Gyesera’s platform limitations.
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From Fisker Karma to Gyesera
Karma Automotive traces the Gyesera’s lineage to the original Fisker Automotive, which built the Fisker Karma and went bankrupt in 2014. The report says Karma acquired assets of that business and continued the hybrid’s line with an updated model called the Revero. Karma is distinct from the later Fisker Inc., maker of the Ocean, which the source describes as recently defunct.
The original Fisker Karma was an early plug-in hybrid with an engine used as a generator. InsideEVs describes the Gyesera as carrying on that arrangement, but with different powertrain components and a substantially larger battery. The review characterizes the model as new in the company’s lineup, not as a ground-up vehicle: it says the silhouette, tunnel-mounted battery layout and several interior features carry over from the earlier design.
The reviewer also disclosed that Karma paid for travel and lodging for the Las Vegas first-drive event and provided meals and test vehicles. That disclosure is relevant when readers weigh the review’s judgments; the technical details and driving impressions remain attributable to InsideEVs’ report.
“This is not a Fisker.”
— InsideEVs reviewer Mack Hogan
Questions Beyond the First Drive
The supplied report does not establish whether the Gyesera has undergone independent testing of its claimed range, acceleration or charging time, or how those results compare in varied temperatures and driving conditions. The approximately 200-mile Las Vegas drive is the reviewer’s route, not a standardized range test.
It is also unclear from the source material how many Gyeseras Karma plans to build, when customer deliveries will begin, or whether the company intends to make structural changes in later versions. The review’s concerns about handling and braking are subjective first-drive observations; the material provides no broader owner data, crash-test results or reliability record. The exact timing and production status of the Amaris and Keveya are not specified.
Karma’s Next Model Milestones
The next points to watch are the Gyesera’s production and customer-delivery plans, along with independent testing that can verify its range, charging and performance figures. Karma’s development and timing updates for the Amaris and Keveya will also show whether the company can move beyond revisions to the inherited platform. The source material provides no confirmed launch dates for those models, so their timing remains open.
For buyers considering the Gyesera, a longer-term evaluation would need to address the first-drive review’s concerns about cabin space, engine noise and road manners, alongside ownership costs and service support. Those details are not established by the report.
Key Questions
What is the Karma Gyesera?
The Gyesera is a plug-in hybrid from Karma Automotive, described by InsideEVs as the company’s first new model in about a decade. Its gasoline engine operates as a generator, while electric motors drive the rear wheels.
Is Karma the same company as Fisker Inc.?
No. The report says Karma acquired assets from the original Fisker Automotive, maker of the Fisker Karma, and continued that car’s lineage. It is distinct from the later Fisker Inc., which made the Ocean.
What range and performance does the Gyesera claim?
InsideEVs reports a claimed 80 miles of electric range, a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.7 seconds and 566 horsepower in Sport mode. The supplied report does not describe those figures as independently verified test results.
Why does the review say the Gyesera does not feel new?
The reviewer says the Gyesera retains the earlier car’s basic silhouette, central battery tunnel and cramped rear-seat layout, along with some dated interior elements. The review also notes substantial changes to the powertrain and improved performance, so its criticism is about the extent of the redesign, not an absence of updates.
What other Karma models are mentioned?
The review says Karma executives point to the Amaris and the long-delayed Keveya electric vehicle as future products. It does not provide confirmed launch or delivery dates for either model.
Source: insideevs.com
