2013 Fisker Surf shooting brake steals the show at Frankfurt

The Surf is the shooting brake version of the Fisker Karma – a sexy plug-in hybrid sedan from the US that finally entered production earlier this year and started reaching patient customers in July.

While the Surf may look too outlandish to be anything but a concept, it is very much headed for production.

The Fisker Surf will join the Karma on the Valmet Automotive production line in Finland next year, with international deliveries scheduled for July 2012.

Fisker Automotive CEO and executive design director, Henrik Fisker, said the Surf was a truly world-first design.

Reminiscent of the Ferrari FF, a key focus of the Surf was to create a more versatile version of the Karma. The sedan’s boot offers just 201 litres of storage space, while the Surf’s starts at 360 litres and can be expanded all the way to 821 litres with the individual rear seats folded forwards.

Despite the added size, the Surf is only 35kg heavier than the Karma, and its elongated roof means a larger solar panel – used to recharge the lithium-ion batteries and aid the climate control system – can be mounted on top.

The Fisker Surf shares its powertrain with the Karma. This means the rear wheels are driven by two electric motors with a combined output of 300kW and 1300Nm. The electric motors get their power from either the 22kWh lithium-ion battery or a 175kW generator, which is spun by a 2.2-litre petrol engine.

Although Fisker is yet to announce performance data specific to the Surf, expect it to be in a similar league to the Karma. The plug-in sedan has a range of 480km, a combined cycle fuel consumption of approximately 2.4 litres/100km, can accelerate from 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in 5.8 seconds and will go on to a top speed of 201km/h.

Fisker says the Surf will be a little more expensive than the Karma, which retails for around US$100,000. The company has set the seemingly ambitious target of selling 3500 per year once the global sales network is up and running.

Mr Fisker has previously confirmed his intention to launch the brand in Australia, although the Surf and Karma are understood to be off the table for our market. Instead, we are in line for a more mainstream mid-sized premium sedan – codenamed ‘Project Nina’ – which will go on sale internationally in 2013.

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