Fisker announced its all-electric SUV, the Ocean, aiming at Tesla Model X buyers with a striking design and a rotatable infotainment screen!
The new-age automaker is most (in)famously known for its plug-in hybrid luxury car known as the Karma. Designed by its founder and CEO, Henrik Fisker, the vehicle featured sport-car-like styling that drew heaps of attention and hype from the world over. It was built by Finland-based Valmet Automotive and launched in 2011 in a relatively nascent stage for the hybrid and EV scene. Unfortunately, despite its promises of efficiency, the Karma was plagued by an unreliable powertrain, resulting in several models being recalled.
Over ten years later, Fisker promises to reinvent itself with the launch of the equally striking Ocean all-electric SUV. Some pretty clever yet nifty features set it apart from other players, so here are some of the key takeaways.
Akin to the Karma, the Ocean is designed by the CEO/Head of Design, Henrik Fisker himself. Starting from the front fascia, the SUV stands out with its wide stance that is more of a common trait among tuned sports cars with an external body kit. Unlike ICE-equipped cars, the Ocean skips the open-faced grille and instead opts for a two-tone design, complemented by twin LED headlamps and a backlit ‘Ocean’ emblem in the center. Furthermore, the razor-thin indicators make an appearance on the bumper, stepping away from traditional design styles.
The Ocean maintains a clean styling on the side with flush-in door handles and sleek body panels from the front fender to the rear quarter panel. However, the designers’ touch is visible in aerodynamic streaks on the black mirror caps, aluminum/carbon-fiber three-spoke rims (available in 20″ or 22″ sizes), and vertically mounted rear indicators on the D-pillar. Similarly, the rear-end features super-thin taillights, an illuminated Fisker logo, and a sporty bumper accentuating the signature wide-body stance.
Fisker offers the Ocean in three different styles: Sport, Ultra, and Extreme. All three editions feature a barebones chassis housing the battery pack, just like any other EV. Fisker places the other necessary components in an aluminum shell, although the body panels are from steel to reduce cost.
The base configuration will receive a single electric motor (275 hp) driving the front wheels, enough for a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds. It comes with a Li-ion battery providing a respectable range of 250 miles.
Meanwhile, the Ultra and Extreme models will be equipped with two electric motors and a NiMnCo battery pack. Notably, the Ultra packs 540 hp for a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds and provides a 350-mile range, while the Extreme produces 550 hp and sprints to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds while providing 350+ miles of range. The midrange and flagship variants also feature torque vectoring with rear-end disconnect for additional off-road performance.
Fisker also embraced the sustainability movement to an impressive degree inside the cabin. For example, the blacked-out dashboard is made from recycled T-shirts. Moreover, the carpets are made from recycled plastics, using a combination of PET bottles and fishing gear, while the seats and the headliner use vegan leather and faux suede, respectively.
The dash’s centerpiece is a massive Revolve 17.1-inch infotainment screen that rotates from a portrait to landscape orientation with the touch of a button. As a result, the driver can have a better view of the display when driving (portrait) or watch a movie with the passenger when stationary (landscape). And if that wasn’t futuristic enough, the seat’s foam adjusts its shape to the body position, courtesy of the Freeform technology.
The Ocean also features the Fisker Intelligent Pilot, comprising radar, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras. The icing on the cake is the California Mode, which opens up the windows, solar sunroof, and the rear window, similar to a convertible. Finally, there’s also a solar roof that adds up to 2,000 miles of driving range per year, albeit in ideal conditions.
The Ocean SUV starts from $37,499 for the Sport, $49,999 for the Ultra, and $68,999 for the range-topping Extreme. Fisker expects to start deliveries from Nov ’22 for the midrange and top-end model, while those looking to book the base model will have to endure a long wait until Nov ’23. The automaker also plans to ship out 5,000 introductory models early next year, designated as the Ocean One.
For those who plan to lease the SUV, there’s also a Flexee Lease plan which allows a customer to use the vehicle for as long as they wish, although one has to shell out $2,999 as an activation fee and $379 every month.
Gallery: 2023 Fisker Ocean
