Fisker Surf (2011) at the Frankfurt motor show

Fisker showed off its new Surf station wagon at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show this week. As correctly revealed by CAR Online, Fisker's Frankfurt surprise was a more practical version of the Karma range-extener hybrid.

Fledgling brand Fisker calls the Surf 'the world’s first electric luxury/sports automobile for an active and eco-friendly lifestyle'. Founder Henrik Fisker describes it as a mix of crossover, sports car and station wagon and it'll go on sale in a year's time.

It can make such a claim on account of the Surf's 50-mile EV range, extended to 250 miles in range-extender mode.

Not much at this stage. 'The Surf is a first-of-its-kind eco-friendly lifestyle vehicle that offers space, performance and luxury design for people who live an active, environmentally conscious lifestyle and like to drive beautiful cars,' said Fisker, CEO and executive design director of Fisker Automotive.

The Surf will be sold in all markets globally from the 2013 model year.

The company continues to expand since launch in 2007 and the Surf will be joined by a new 'mid-sized premium sedan' from late 2012.

Dubbed Project Nina, the new smaller Fisker saloon will be built at the former GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware. It will be powered by BMW's four-cylinder turbo engine.

By Tim Pollard