2022 Karma GS-6 Sedan

　　

2022 Karma GS-6 Review

byBrent RomansSenior Manager, Written Content

　　Brent Romans has worked in the automotive industry since 1996. He has written or edited thousands of expert car reviews and road-tested hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Brent is a senior manager of written content at zzdcar and previously contributed to publications such as Super Street and Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road. His personal car is a 2019 BMW M2 Competition, which he bought for its ideal combination of performance, style and practicality.

　　, rating written byBrent RomansVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　Want to befuddle your friends? Tell them you bought a 2022 Karma GS-6. There's a certain amount of context to our proposal but we'll start with the obvious: Very few people know what this thing is. Its heritage connects to the old Fisker Karma from more than a decade ago. Essentially, it's an updated version of that sleek-looking plug-in hybrid sport sedan. It has an extended-range plug-in hybrid electric powertrain offering a pair of electric motors and a 28-kWh battery pack, delivering 536 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque to the car's rear wheels.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Karma GS-6 PHEV Insights

Trim:GS-6 Luxury

　　Luxury 4dr Sedan (1.5L 3cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD) - $93,900 MSRPSport 4dr Sedan (1.5L 3cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD) (Most Popular) - $99,990 MSRP

　　

All Electric Range

　　61 miles

　　EPA Estimated Electric Range

　　The GS-6 will automatically switch to gas when the electric battery is low.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　10 yrs or 150,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　6.3 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　See All PHEV incentives

　　

Cost to Drive

　　Not Available

　　GS-6

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　See All PHEV Insights

　　A fully charged battery will deliver an EPA-estimated 61 miles of guilt-free driving, which is about twice as much as the typical plug-in hybrid provides. After that, a BMW-sourced turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine kicks in. The gas engine serves as an onboard generator, its power converted to electricity and extending total range to 330 miles, according to the EPA. At that point, you need to find a gas station or plug the GS-6 in to recharge the battery.

　　The GS-6 is definitely interesting, and there's a certain appeal to owning something so rare. But it also stands as a somewhat befuddling purchase decision considering the car's significant drawbacks. Check out our test team's Expert Rating below to learn more about the 2022 GS-6's hits and misses.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.3

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the GS-6 drive? The Karma GS-6 uses a series plug-in hybrid powertrain, meaning the BMW-sourced internal combustion engine charges the battery but doesn't drive the wheels. That makes the GS-6 feel like a pure EV most of the time. It makes lots of torque and has a smooth power delivery. At our test track, the GS-6 covered 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. That's certainly quick, though you can find quicker EVs or regular gasoline-powered sport sedans for what the GS-6 costs. Emergency braking performance, too, lags that of most rivals, and the pedal feel is such that it can be tricky to consistently come to a smooth stop in typical driving.

　　The GS-6 handles well, with a neutral balance that can be provoked into more of a tail-out stance if you dip your right foot. The steering is responsive, though we wish it were a little quicker to make the GS-6 a bit easier to maneuver at low speeds.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the GS-6? Ride comfort splits the difference between sporty and comfortable. Our test vehicle had the available 22-inch wheels, leaving little tire sidewall to absorb bumps. It's not an uncomfortable ride, but you're always aware of the imperfections in the pavement. The seats are decently padded and supportive, but they don't have many adjustments, so you might struggle to find your ideal seating position.

　　The biggest issue is that the GS-6 just isn't as quiet or isolating as it should be. In pure EV mode, it's quiet in the city, though the lack of an exhaust note only enhances wind and tire noise on the highway. When the gas engine does fire up to charge the battery, it's buzzy and uncouth, booming in the footwell as the exhaust exits right behind the front wheel. In Sport mode, the engine likes to hang out at 6,000 rpm, so it can just howl at full throttle.

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