Henrik Fisker doesn’t maintain again on superlatives: He touts his new SUV, named Ocean and priced from round 40K to over 60K {dollars} (and euros), because the “most sustainable” SUV ever; his firm Fisker Inc. “places individuals and planet first,” it’s “revolutionising the automotive trade by designing and growing particular person mobility in alignment with nature.”

This newest effort marks the designer’s third try as an entrepreneur, following Fisker Coachbuild as a luxurious automobile carossier, and Fisker Automotive, which developed and launched the long-defunct hybrid, sedan Karma. Now Fisker has teamed up with Magna Steyr, a strong associate.
the Ocean rolls off the meeting line in Graz.

However the firm’s headquarters are situated in California, and the attract of this glamorous locale is utilized to reinforce the model picture: the Ocean boasts a “California” mode, permitting all glass surfaces, together with the rear window and two sq. portholes within the rear pillar, to slip open on the press of a button. Thus, the proverbial surfboard can protrude from the rear window decoratively, whereas the openings permit a whiff of the zesty Pacific air to infiltrate the inside.

It’s an enthralling idea, similar to the 2 different – doubtless fairly pricey – gimmicks which the Ocean serves up: a central display screen that rotates from vertical to horizontal in “Hollywood mode”, permitting you to bask in cinematic leisure whereas stationary, and retractable tables within the centre console, harking back to a Maybach. Each are helpful if you find yourself ready for a charging station, an all-too-frequent situation for electrical automobiles.

Henrik Fisker, who as soon as refined Ian Callum’s designs at Aston Martin, is hailed as a star designer; expectations for the Ocean had been excessive. But its look is somewhat unremarkable: It’s compact and ponderous, considerably faceless, with ultra-thin taillights. Photo voltaic panels sit atop the roof within the top-tier model we examined. They’re meant to feed as much as 3200 kilometres of vary per 12 months into the batteries, underneath scorching solar; in most climates, will probably be a fraction of that.

Earlier than hitting the street, we forged our gaze across the inside and may’t assist however discover the sorry high quality: the rearview mirror wobbles, the supplies are positively subpar. Solely the strategically positioned Alcantara patches please the attention, whereas the widespread laborious plastic insults it. There’s extra: The flip indicators stumble in an uneven method, the horn doesn’t work in any respect in our take a look at automobile. We’re getting “Fisker-Value” vibes.

Let’s hit the accelerator: 550 horsepower, fed to all 4 wheels, ship brutal acceleration, 0-100 kph is available in underneath 4 seconds. In fact it’s no shock that one more EVs excels at dragster races, however the suspension leaves a lot to be desired: there may be important physique roll and the brakes are utterly numb. This was a typical challenge with many first-generation electrical automobiles, however most established producers have lengthy made important strides. And thus, regardless of its good acceleration, the Ocean isn’t a very sporty nor a notably snug automobile.

It’s, in truth, a totally common electrical SUV. And this isn’t a lot of a shock: Whereas Fisker emphasises the corporate’s distinctive improvement prowess, the Ocean’s specs overlap notably with the Alpha-T by the Chinese language producer Arcfox.

Fisker has been gathering deposits for the Ocean for years, and deliveries are lastly commencing. However as an alternative of making use of laser give attention to cranking out and refining this delayed but nonetheless unfinished product, he retains saying additional fashions, notably the entry-level Pear, the sports activities automobile Ronin, and a pickup truck named Alaska.

Unsurprisingly, Fisker claims they are going to possess superior qualities, leaving established rivals within the mud – very like the Ocean. Or the Karma. Certainly, when the Karma debuted in January 2012, Fisker was featured on the quilt of the since-expired journal “Auto Week” with the caption: “Will this man save the U.S. automobile trade?”

Fisker’s guarantees and bombast would possibly remind you of Elon Musk, with whom he had authorized disputes; in truth, the Tesla model guru is commonly seen as his nemesis. However all through his profession, Musk has persistently proven disruptive qualities, pursued genuinely new approaches, and propelled your complete trade ahead. Sadly, our take a look at drive with the Ocean confirms that these qualities are largely absent not solely in Henrik Fisker but in addition in his merchandise.