Al Futtaim is Fisker dealer for UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain

In a surprise move, the Dubai-based Al Futtaim Group has announced that they will be the exclusive dealers for the Fisker line of electric cars in various GCC and Middle East countries. This will mark the first time that Fisker luxury plug-in hybrid vehicles become officially available in this region.

The agreement will allow Al-Futtaim to distribute Fisker exclusively in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and the Levant. Dubai Festival City’s automotive park will house Al-Futtaim’s first regional flagship dealership for Fisker.

Currently, Fisker only offers the expensive Karma sedan, with plans for a smaller sedan called the Fisker Atlantic in the next few years. The cars come with an “EVer” powertrain that consists of a direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, a 175 kW electric generator, a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and two electric motors at the rear wheels. The generator offers the equivalent of 235 hp, but in Sport mode, this goes up to 403 hp, with a ridiculous 1,330 Nm of torque available from zero rpm. It can do 0-100 kph in 6.1 seconds, with a top speed of 201 kph. However, specs for the GCC version might differ.

The Fisker Karma sedan allows the driver to select between two driving modes: Stealth mode for relaxed all-electric driving and Sport mode to access the vehicle’s full power. Stealth mode provides efficient emission-free operation for a range of up to 80 km. For Stealth mode travel beyond the battery range, the petrol-powered generator automatically provides power for another 400 km in ideal conditions, with additional range available by simply filling up at any ordinary gas station. Sport mode combines power from both the gasoline-powered generator and the battery to give the driver more aggressive acceleration and higher top speed. The EVer powertrain on the Karma sedan uses dual electric motors to drive the wheels, so the gasoline engine never directly drives the wheels.

U.S. pricing for the Karma starts at US$ 102,000, so it is safe to say the car will cost at least Dhs 400,000 in the UAE.