“New Fisker” Hints at Expanded Lineup

Bankrupt hybrid electric carmaker Fisker Automotive Inc. has been relaunched as The New Fisker by the company's new owners, Chicago-based Wanxiang America Corp.

The company's redesigned Web site (thenewfisker.com) offers vaguely worded optimism but virtually no details about its revival plans.

According to the site, Wanxiang will resume production of the Fisker Karma sport sedan "as fast as possible," but not until it is confident about the car's quality. Early Karmas were recalled three times.

When output resumes, Karma production will be handled by Valmet Automotive in Finland, the company that assembled the car initially. Fisker had planned to move production to a former General Motors Co. assembly plant in Wilmington, Del. Wanxiang says it is "diligently assessing" the viability of using the factory.

The new owners add that they "truly believe" the company will be able to eventually launch Fisker's previously announced Sunset convertible, Surf sport wagon and $55,000 midsize Atlantic sedan.

Wanxiang adds that the court order it assumed when it acquired Fisker allows it to offer current Fisker owners only $2,000 of warranty coverage with an aggregate cap of $400,000. The company says it is "hard at work discussing ways" to improve coverage.