Karma’s new GS-6 is offered in Standard, Luxury, and Sport models, all sharing the sleek exterior design of the company’s upmarket Revero GT. The three GS-6 variants are powered by a transversely mounted, 400 kW twin-motor rear drive module (RDM) energized by a 28 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that delivers 61 miles of battery-electric range. The combination, which produces 536 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of peak torque, comes with an EPA rating of 70 combined city/highway MPGe. Range increases to 330 miles with additional electricity from a 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine spinning a 170 kW generator.
The driver can select one of three modes that control how the motor is powered: Stealth mode uses the battery pack only; Sustain mode accesses the generator to create electricity to power the car; Sport mode uses both the batteries and the generator to supply power directly to the motors.
The drive system’s Sport mode is available in all GS-6 versions, not just the Sport model. The line-topping Sport model is differentiated from the other GS-6 versions by its 22-inch wheels (21s are standard on the others), red Brembo brake calipers, and torque vectoring from the RDM.
The GS-6’s leather interior is available in a choice of five colors and accent trim that range from carbon fiber to reclaimed wood from forests burned by California wildfires. The car’s Human-Machine Interface enables driver control of features including steering feel, accelerator pedal aggressiveness, and its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Controls in the haptic steering wheel give the driver command of the sound system and phone, driving modes, adaptive cruise control, and a three-mode regenerative brake system. The center touchscreen contains controls for the HVAC system, heated and ventilated seats, audio, and lighting. Also controlled through the center screen is the GS-6’s Track Mode, which provides data ranging from lap times and g-forces to energy use and even tire pressure and temperature.
The ADAS aboard the GS-6 has a long list of assistance and safety features including adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring/rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, and parking distance monitoring. Onboard cameras provide a 360-degree view around the Karma. Apple Car Play and Android Auto capability are built into the GS-6, and it can receive over-the-air updates for remote diagnostics and software upgrades.
While it sells vehicles globally, Karma's operations are in Southern California with headquarters in Irvine and a production facility in Moreno Valley.
There are countless reasons to visit California’s picturesque Monterey Peninsula, home of historic Monterey with its Cannery Row of Steinbeck lore, Fisherman’s Wharf, and charming Carmel-by-the-Sea. We’ve made road trips to this storied destination many times over the years on holidays, to take in races at Laguna Seca Raceway (now Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca), and attend automotive events of one stripe or another, including the region's high-profile Monterey Car Week. More on that in a bit.
The drive from Los Angeles to Monterey is one of contrasts. Heading north on California’s Highway 101 from Southern California, you’re treated to diverse scenery ranging from crowded cityscapes to rolling hills and wide-open spaces. It’s when you reach Ventura that things begin to markedly change. This is where, for a time, your vista to the west gives way to brilliant blue Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands, signaling a welcome transition that finds you leaving city life behind for the more relaxed lifestyle of the Central Coast.
The next 275 miles are quite scenic with such jewels as Santa Barbara, the Riviera of the Pacific; San Luis Obispo, a wonderful mission town with its circa-1772 Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa; and the bucolic Paso Robles, a short drive after cresting the Cuesta Grade.
Our latest road trip to the area began in San Luis Obispo behind the wheel of a 2019 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, one of this automaker’s high-profile answers to driving ‘green.’ Our drive this time was via US 101 to Salinas and then SR 68 to Monterey, an easy 2 1/2-hour trip. Along the way you pass through a landscape of rolling hills, farmlands, and wide-open spaces dotted with fruit and vegetable stands, small towns, and a few modest cities that are worth a quick visit if you have the time.
A spectacular alternative is negotiating winding Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo to Monterey, the most awe-inspiring section of California’s historic El Camino Real (Spanish for “The King’s Highway”). El Camino Real is the heart of the historic Mission Trail that connects the state’s 21 Spanish missions established between 1769 to 1833, running from San Diego to Santa Cruz . From Cambria to Monterey, this section of El Camino Real hugs the coastline and goes through Big Sur, providing truly breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean along the way. Be prepared for at least a 4 hour or longer drive on this more leisurely route, hence the reason we take US 101 more often than not. Still, we drive Highway 1 every few years as a reminder of just what an unhurried and sensory fulfilling road trip can be for the soul.
As the miles roll by, it isn’t lost on us how the Sonata Hybrid is a stylish and accommodating vehicle for our road trip. The hybrid variant of Hyundai’s popular Sonata sedan is quite fuel efficient at a rated 46 mpg on the highway and 40 mpg in city driving, which goes a long way toward mitigating carbon emissions. It’s also ideal for road trips with a driving range up to 668 miles on a tank of fuel.
While the Sonata Hybrid has the overall bold and distinctive look of its conventionally powered counterpart, there are some distinguishing features. These include a slightly different front and rear fascia and aerodynamic wheels that help achieve a low drag coefficient of 0.24. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter GDI Atkinson cycle, 4-cylinder engine with a Blue Drive parallel hybrid system. Engine output is 154 horsepower with 140 lb-ft torque to provide spirited and confident driving.
Like all Sonatas, the hybrid offers standard Bluetooth with audio streaming and a 7.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Standard safety tech includes blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert. New standard features on the Limited trim include automatic emergency braking, smart cruise control with start/stop, and lane keeping assist. Importantly the Sonata comes with a hefty 5-year or 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, or 10 years and 100,000 miles of coverage for the powertrain.
As we arrive in Monterey, we’re reminded of the very special nature of this place. Views here are among the awe-inspiring in the world. If you ever have reason to question that, just take a leisurely journey along the area’s famed 17 Mile Drive from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach as the route hugs the Pacific coastline.
Stop along the way at such scenic vistas as Spanish Bay, Bird Rock, Stillwater Cove, and Point Joe, where converging currents create a mesmerizing and constantly restless sea. Take time to appreciate The Lone Cypress, which has majestically withstood the elements for over 250 years. Take in the stately Lodge at Pebble Beach and appreciate the Pebble Beach Golf Links, considered one of the finest golf courses in the world, then get a bite at one of the resort’s excellent restaurants.
Beyond its grandeur, there are other compelling reasons to head to the Monterey Peninsula. One of the highlights is the annual spectacle of Monterey Car Week each August, a celebration of classic and modern vehicles with a 10-day series of events capped by The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering at Quail Lodge & Golf Club, and the renowned Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance that’s taken place at this famed golf resort for the past 60 years.
We recently attended both along with other elements of Monterey Car Week, including Exotics on Cannery Row and classic car auctions with some of the most amazing and historic automotive iron on the planet. In recent years, these events have seen a major showing by automakers at exhibits and pavilions as they display their current vehicles, along with concepts, pre-production, and electrified models. Examples of advanced and electrified vehicles on hand included the electric Polestar 1, Porsche Mission E, Karma Revero, Mercedes-AMG Project One, and Byton K-Byte.
Beyond the visceral thrill imparted by all manner of automotive history on display, one of our most memorable moments was during an afternoon at the Mecum Auction. Here, we witnessed a vintage Porsche 550 Spyder (think James Dean) bid up to $925,000…without selling because it failed to meet the seller’s reserve price.
More often than not, our sojourns to the area have included stays at the seaside Monterey Plaza and Clement Monterey hotels, or the Portola Hotel at Monterey Bay adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf. The Carmel Valley Ranch Resort, where you can appreciate an inevitable greeting by deer and perhaps even wild turkeys, is also a favorite. All are located within easy reach of such memorable Monterey attractions as Fisherman’s Wharf, the historic Carmel Mission, the Maritime Museum of Monterey, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the historic Carmel Mission that was founded in 1771 by the Franciscan friars.
Heading home with the sights and sounds of Monterey behind us, we can only say that this is one road trip that everyone should take at some time in their life, if it’s in the cards. Doing so in the month of August when Monterey Car Week is happening, of course, makes it all the better.
Photography by Sheree Gardner Cogan
The Karma Revero is Green Car Journal’s 2018 Luxury Green Car of the Year, earning this distinction for many reasons. But let's start here: The Revero is the most head-turning vehicle we have ever driven. Period. The attention this stunning grand touring car gets wherever it is driven is just short of amazing. If you’re lucky enough to own one, get used to it. This will never change.
Karma Automotive, a company owned by China’s Wanxiang Group, has revived the impressive but short-lived Fisker Karma extended range electric car that made a brief appearance on the market five years ago, thoroughly reengineered it, and has reintroduced it as the ‘Revero.’ The company wisely left most of the car’s breathtaking exterior design intact with a few tweaks, devoting its efforts instead to major technology improvements and creating a wondrous interior to complement the car’s incredible looks. The company then strategically set up its headquarters and manufacturing in Southern California, the land of electric cars. Even in California, where car culture is king and there’s no shortage of coolness on wheels, this car is clearly special.
The $130,000 Karma Revero is built on a lightweight aluminum spaceframe and powered by two high-power electric motors, both energized by lithium-ion batteries positioned along the car’s centerline. This pair of AC permanent magnet motors provides a combined 403 horsepower and 981 lb-ft torque driving the rear wheels, delivering a 0-60 mph sprint in 5.4 seconds.
Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Karma Revero is a series hybrid that uses an internal combustion engine solely to drive a generator, which in turn supplies electricity to the electric drive motors or to the car’s battery pack. There is no mechanical connection between the engine and wheels. The Revero delivers an estimated 50 miles on batteries alone and about 300 miles total on batteries and electricity generated by its engine-generator.
The Revero’s battery pack can be fully charged in about 10 hours using the car’s onboard charger operating on 120-volt household power. With a 240-volt charger this drops down to just under four hours. A 480-volt rapid charger enables charging to 80 percent of the battery’s capacity in just 24 minutes. The Revero has a large solar roof that’s claimed to contribute up to 1.5 miles of battery power per day, depending on weather conditions. This feature makes the Revero the first production car in the country to be powered by electricity, solar, and gasoline.
A driver has three selectable drive modes – Stealth (pure electric), Sustain (gasoline engine/generator or ‘EV later’ mode), and Sport (battery electric plus generator for maximum performance). Stealth mode would ideally be used in town where zero-emission driving is preferred, with a switch to Sustain model outside of town. The latter would maintain the batteries’ state-of-charge to enable zero-emission Stealth driving again when returning to the city. There are three levels of regenerative braking for desired deceleration and massive Brembo brakes for conventional braking.
Revero is well-connected and able to make software updates wirelessly, using Blackberry's Certicom cryptography as an added security layer within QNX-secured two-way data transmission. The Revero has an eight-speaker audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and three USB charging ports. Driver assistance includes lane departure warning and a backup camera. A 12.3-inch-wide multi-configurable driver display is provided along with a 10.2-inch touchscreen-only infotainment system.
The premium ‘green’ car field is expanding with impressive models available from noted domestic and offshore luxury brands. Each has its strengths and customer appeal. In the realm of plug-in hybrids or extended range electric cars where sheer – maybe intoxicating – beauty is at the top of the list, the Karma Revero truly has no peer.