The electric vehicle (EV) market has blossomed into maturity, with a wide range of options to suit the needs of the masses. With that variety comes competition, and then the need to stand out from the crowd. The Geely EX5 embraces its electric architecture to bring a brand new sense of what is considered premium to the everyday SUV.

Like most modern SUVs, the EX5 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. This is a very conservative end of the automotive market, and anything too outlandish may scare prospects. LED lighting all around, check. Flush door handles, check. Aero-efficient wheels, check. Black plastic trim over the wheel arches, all there. The EX5 has the EV and SUV design cues to ensure a visual connection to what the buyers expect these days.

That said, the EX5 is a clean modern design, as dictated by its all-electric needs. There’s a hint of sci-fi to it, as if someone ran a current SUV through a time machine — this time forward, not retro.