Geely Vision Starburst concept, a new design direction

This is the Geely Vision Starburst, a new design vision described as a “new and alternative expression” of the carmaker’s ‘Expanding Cosmos’ design philosophy. Created by Geely Design Shanghai, the showcar will serve as a design board for future Geely models.

“The Expanding Cosmos philosophy serves as a constant inspiration for our designers to discover a new and holistic design language that satisfies our ever-expanding and increasingly-diverse range of customers. Like the birth of a new star, the ideas from our talented team of global designers combined, fused, and erupted, resulting in the birth of a new design expression, a new vision, our Vision Starburst,” said Guy Burgoyne, VP of Geely Design Shanghai.

The inspiration for Vision Starburst comes from the phenomena where brilliant nebulas and magnificent elements come together, merging, fusing and finally bursting into new stars. Every new design concept is the result of the combination, fusion, and eruption of different ideas which become new star products that enrich the market, Geely says.

In Vision Starburst, Geely’s Shanghai designers created unity between the exterior and interior, colour and materials, as well as car and user. 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. The details take inspiration from stellar rays and waves in the folding and crossing of lines and surfaces.

The most visually striking aspect of the Vision Starburst is in front. The grille has dramatically changed from current Geely fare, and the whole concept of the face too. Vision Starburst’s unique new parabolic pattern, in combination with the new lighting design, creates an effect that echoes the theme of energy releasing from a starburst.

The concept that headlamps are the eyes of a vehicle has also been overturned as Geely designers imagine future vehicles seen through high-tech sensors. The whole vehicle visually extends from the centre towards the sides, up and down, giving the face of the vehicle a more powerful and three-dimensional aura, the carmaker says.

The Vision Starburst’s waistline, door panels intertwine and integrate; and the sharp lines make for bold shapes while hiding a hint of the concept’s “grand vision of infinity”.

Moving inside, the interior door panels are designed to match the characteristics of the exterior. “Cosmic Ray” light strips help to unify interior and exterior design. On top of the floating centre console, the shifter takes on an aerodynamic geometric shape that’s hollow. Four lines of light illuminate to display different gear settings.

Instruments in the Vision Starburst meld with the ambient light on the dash and door panels to create a “borderless visual experience” with the user at its centre. Borderless instruments and seamless info transmission will change the way users interact with vehicles, the design team says – or in fancier words, a whole new sensory experience.

The mission of showcasing advanced technology and mobility have been applied to the illuminated wheel arches. Different lighting effects will highlight the Vision Starburst while in different states, for example while charging, in motion or parking. This also happens inside, where the ambient lighting, sound and atmosphere also change depending on the state of the vehicle, conveying info to users in a new way.

The lighting interaction from the outside in, gives users a sense of speed and a new driving experience, Geely’s design team says.

Once again, the Hangzhou-based carmaker says that the Vision Starburst is a new direction for Geely’s Expanding Cosmos, an alternative train of thought that challenges traditional notions of human-vehicle behaviour. Although the Vision Starburst concept itself will not be made into a production car, Geely says that many aspects of the new design language will be applied to future showroom models.

What do you think of this new design philosophy? For an interesting insight on Geely’s current look, here’s executive VP of design Peter Horbury explaining animals, faces and Proton.