We see automotive pop ups on a regular basis. Someone seems to think they can get into the automotive business and compete with some of the longest standing names in the industry and only a few are actually able to achieve this feat. Even so, Karma isn’t about to let the odds rain on its parade and they have created a car that may show you some style cues you’ve seen on one other model, but that’s not the fascinating part about this great looking new car.

Karma has brought its new model, called the Revero, to California for a debut as its first offering and the first thing you would notice is the fact that there’s a solar panel in the roof. This solar panel isn’t strong enough to charge and keep the car charged all day for whatever driving you may have, but it does have the ability to add some supplemental charge to this exciting new product. The new Revero is a plug-in hybrid that has a powertrain you’ll want to admire and enjoy, making this first offering one that looks great and gives you an interesting car to enjoy.

The powertrain is made up of a 21.4 kWh battery that’s put low in the floor area of the car for balance. There is also a four-cylinder engine that is the power generator and is capable of producing 235 horsepower. The two battery powered electric motors and engine combine to give the car 403 horsepower and 981 lb.-ft. of torque that’s sent directly to the rear wheels. This power gives the car the ability to reach sixty mph in 5.4 seconds in Sport mode. The Stealth mode, which uses only the battery power makes the sprint in 6.9 seconds and Sustain mode, which uses only the gasoline engine is able to reach the mark in 7.2 seconds. The top speed for the Revero is 125 mph to give you some exceptional driving excitement.

Karma claims this car can give you an electric only range of up to 50 miles and a total range with the entire powertrain of as much as 300 miles. This gives you 20 mpg when using only gasoline and 54 MPGe when using the entire abilities of the car. These numbers haven’t been verified by the EPA as of yet, so things might change a bit once they are.

Karma was purchased by Wanxiang Group in China in 2013 and since this purchase the Karma name has been making strides in China including hiring Kip Ewing who was an integral part of the engineering team of the new Ford GT. If you see some hints of the GT in the new Revero, don’t be too surprised, some of the long lines and sleek appearances are certainly a hint at this lauded sports car, but the Revero is certainly something new and something all its own, not a copycat car. Hopefully the Karma name will show some strength in the US, this sounds like a car we’d love to have on our market.