Competition in the mid-size premium Sport Utility Vehicle market is set to intensify once again when the five-seat Fisker Ocean reaches the British market in the second quarter of next year.
A rival to Audi’s Q4 e-tron, BMW’s iX3 and the Mercedes EQC, the Ocean will be available in three trim levels, with each raising the performance of a car that will be built at Magna Steyr in Austria.
Standout features on the Fisker Ocean include arch busting aerodynamically profiled 22-inch wheels, and an ingenious ‘California Mode’ that, at the push of a button, drops the side and rear windows and opens the panoramic glass sunroof.
A full-length ‘SolarSky’ roof that captures the sun’s rays to support the car’s electric motor is also exclusive to the Ocean. Fisker claims the solar panels can capture 1,500-miles of additional range in sunny conditions during the course of a year.
Sustainability is on show inside the Ocean where a “fully vegan” interior is manufactured from repurposed fishing nets, T-shirts and rubber. Fisker claims this is “the world’s most sustainable electric vehicle” ever built.
Entry-level ‘Sport’ models weigh in at £34,990 and rely on a front-mounted 275bhp e-motor for a 0-60mph time of 6.6 seconds. Key features include a 17.1-inch centre touchscreen, a ‘big sky’ roof, an electric tailgate, cruise control and automatic headlights.
Mid-range ‘Ultra’ spec bolts a second motor onto the rear axle to bump up total power to 540bhp and can cover off the 0-60mph sprint in 3.9 seconds. Priced from £48,900, it comes with an ‘Open Sky’ roof, automatic emergency braking, remote vehicle finder and ‘doggie windows’.
Table-topping ‘Extreme’ versions of the Ocean have 550bhp and can hit 60mph from a standing start in a time of 3.6 seconds. Included in the £59,900 asking prices is ‘Smart Traction’ for improved stability in rough weather, a 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging and lane change assist. The centre touchscreen in these models also rotates to sit either in portrait or landscape.
47 prototypes are currently under construction, although the company has yet to confirm exact battery capacities for the car. Work also continues to establish what the exact charging speeds will be.
Henrik Fisker – the CEO of Fisker – said: “With the Fisker Ocean’s combination of performance, value and sustainability, I believe we have a unique electric vehicle with industry-first features, such as California Mode, a 17.1-inch rotating screen and the longest range in our segment.”
