Fisker Surf wagon Is set to arrive in 2013

From the Chevrolet Nomad to the Dodge Magnum, station wagons occasionally display the style and flair required to turn heads. And with a few strokes of a pen, Henrik Fisker is attempting to craft his own interpretation of the modern family hauler.The five-door Surf is breaking cover this week at the Frankfurt motor show, and the wagon blends electric-car capability with form and function, all wrapped in a slinky design based on Fisker's Karma sedan. The Surf will launch in 2013 and is expected to be sold in the U.S. market and around the world.The wagon uses a battery pack that works with a generator and a turbocharged 260-hp, four-cylinder engine. Range is 50 miles on electric power, and it's capable of 300 total miles. There are two driving modes, sport and stealth.In sport mode, the company claims a whopping 981 lb-ft of torque is possible, and acceleration is 5.9 seconds to 60 mph, en route to a top speed of 125 mph.Stealth is the default setting and summons sufficient power to reach 60 mph in 7.9 seconds with a top speed of 95 mph. Fisker says it takes 14 hours to recharge the Surf on a 110-volt outlet and six hours on a 220-volt outlet.Fisker, a former Aston Martin and BMW designer, conceived the Surf with flowing lines, pronounced haunches and a new three-dimensional grille. The car rolls on 22-inch wheels, with stopping power from Brembo brakes that work with an energy-recovery system.It all rides on a rigid aluminum structure. The weight is distributed 47/53 percent, with a bias to the rear, and Fisker says the dimensions and proportions are the same as those of the Karma.Other features include a tinted panoramic glass roof and an optional solar panel. There also are LED brake lights and a roof spoiler in rear. The cargo area has a shelf, which the company dubbed the "podium," to make better use of storage space while coping with the electric powertrain's inverters set beneath the floor. The battery also runs underneath the center console.The company also tries to display its green credentials by noting that the interior trim wood comes from sunken logs and fire-damaged trees, rather than live timber. The leather comes from energy-sustainable tannery in Scotland.Work on the Surf began in 2009, and Autoweek first reported plans of potential Karma variants in August 2008. Still, the Surf is a touch of a surprise reveal in Germany. Sometimes surprises, and wagons, are good.