Harrods displays Fisker Karma hybrid

Department store Harrods has put the Fisker Karma hybrid vehicle on display in the window of its prestigious Knightsbridge store. The partnership sees Harrods become the first UK outlet to display the car.

The move to put the car on show means prospective customers visiting Harrods will be able to take a tour of the vehicle, as well as virtually configure their own model and be put in touch with their ‘local dealership’ to arrange a test drive.

Co-founder and CEO of Fisker Automotive, Henrik Fisker, said: “Harrods is one of the most prestigious retail sites in the world, which is perfect for our car. The landmark store attracts thousands of customers from all over the world during January, and we look forward to introducing them to Fisker Automotive.”

The Fisker Karma is an American-developed hybrid sportscar produced by Valmet Automotive in Sweden – the same people who made the Porsche Boxster up until as recently as last year.

The petrol-electric Karma is powered by a 260hp direct injection 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine acting as an on board generator, charging the car’s lithium-ion battery pack and/or delivering power to the Karma’s dual 201.5hp electric motors, giving a total output of 403hp and 981lb ft of torque.

As a result, this means the four-door, four-seat luxury sportscar will stop the clock from 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds – according to official Fisker stats – yet deliver fuel economy of up to 112mpg and emissions of just 51g/km CO2, despite its performance.

The Karma can also travel up to 50 miles exclusively on electric power.

The Fisker Karma is already on sale in America priced at £102,000 – around £66,700 at today’s exchange rate – and will be available internationally “in the coming weeks,” according to the American manufacturer.

It’s quite a coup for Fisker to have the Karma displayed in the Brompton Road store’s famous display window, until you realise that Harrods owner, Qatar Holding, is also a significant shareholder in Fisker Automotive…