This Geely Vision Starburst Concept Stands Out - In Good Ways And Bad

Geely has revealed its latest concept car, and while Vision Starburst may be enough to make a Cadillac designer do a double-take, there's no arguing with the fact that it's a mighty handsome sedan. Intended to illustrate the Chinese automaker's "Expanding Cosmos" design philosophy, Vision Starburst combines sharp creases with some eye-catching LED strips.

"In the conceptual design form, bursting energy and constant outward tension result in a twisted profile with curved surfaces that appear to rotate and stretch," Geely says of the concept car. "In its details, the design takes inspiration from stellar rays and waves in the folding and crossing of lines and surfaces."

That means a bigger front grille, bracketed with a continuous light strip that runs all the way from the lower vents and up along the leading edge of the hood. The rear makes even more lavish use of LEDs, with a trunk-spanning light strip that connects two chevron-shaped clusters.

Side-on, the Vision Starburst is firmly of the "four-door coupe" body of styling. The back doors are well hidden into the muscular rear arches, and then in true concept fashion they and their front counterparts hinge up rather than out. All the better, indeed, to showcase the new cabin aesthetic.

That combines the current fashion for extensive ambient lighting with a floating center console touchscreen, borderless instruments, and a UX which extends beyond the confines of the traditional gauges.

Geely doesn't intend to make the Vision Starburst into a production model, or at least that's the message now. Instead, it's intended as a preview of the company's new design language, which it intends to spread across future Geely Auto models. The automaker may not be a familiar name in the US yet, though it owns Volvo and bankrolls Polestar, among other more recognizable names.

It's fair to say that the design team at Cadillac should probably be feeling a little proud: it's hard not to see some elements in the Vision Starburst that are strongly reminiscent of previous Cadillac models and concepts. The upcoming Cadillac LYRIQ electric crossover, in particular, feels like it has some overlap, along with other design exercises by GM's luxury arm.

Still, the auto industry can be prone to flights of collaborative fancy when it comes to design. The "floating rear pillar" is a good example of that, as automakers attempted to stop their SUVs and crossovers from looking top-heavy by blacking out sections of the C- and D-pillars, while increasing amounts of LED lighting and slimmer, more angular exterior lamp clusters are another popular trend. The big question, as always, is just how much of that can actually translate to vehicles in dealerships, something some automakers are much more successful at than others.