7 New Cars That Look Uglier Than Their Predecessors

1. BMW 5-series

Had this list been written a few years ago, the E60 5-series may well have ended up in it, unfavourably compared with the old E39. However, time has been kind to that distinctive Chris Bangle-designed shape with its ‘flame surfacing’, and it makes the current 5-series look like a bit of a generic blob.

2. Audi R8

It’s been kicking around since 2007, and yet the first-generation R8 still looks brilliantly fresh today. While the new one retains the same basic shape, the styling has changed quite significantly, and not entirely for the good. The angular front grille isn’t the most flattering look, and it’s lost those fantastic single-piece side blades in favour of a split design.

At the rear, meanwhile, are two rather large expanses of honeycomb material. You get something similar on the outgoing model, but it looks better broken up with those horizontal slats.

I’m clearly not alone in preferring the first-gen, as when we put it to a vote, almost 68 per cent of you agreed.

3. Mercedes CLS

I love the original CLS. The way the roofline swoops towards the rear and ends in that delectable bootlid lip, those L-shaped headlights that stretched up the bonnet - it all comes together to form one very pretty Merc. Sure, it’s really just an expensive E-Class in a fancy frock, but what a pretty frock it is. The new one is by no means unattractive, but it’s a bit more generic than the old one, with a smoother rear-end that looks much more conservative. A shame.

4. Maserati Quattroporte

The Maserati Quattroporte remains - arguably - the best-looking car in its class, and it’s a cracker to drive - but I can’t help but feel the styling’s gone backwards compared to the previous version. The lower part of the front bumper is a bit fussy, and that fab concave grille has been ditched. I’m also not a fan of that aggressive line that’s slashed across the rear wheel arch.

5. Mini Cooper S

While the (slightly pointless) comments about its size continued, the second generation of the ‘new’ Mini did a good job of giving those retro looks a modern makeover. But the most recent version seems to have undone much of that hard work, with a few dubious styling additions.

The worst is the big band across the grille, which a CT reader once aptly described as looking like “a biscuit being shoved in a mouth horizontally.” And if you get the Cooper S, you end up with a rather undignified front overhang with a pair of bizarre snout-like intakes.

6. Mercedes CLK/E-Class

This is something that’s irritated me for a while, so much so that I’ve blogged on the subject before. The old CLK is an immensely pretty car with its soft, swooping lines, but I find the E-Class coupe much too angular and borderline ugly. Fortunately a facelift sorted out the nasty ‘double’ headlights of the earlier cars, but all the other unflattering features - like those overly muscular rear wheel arch bulges - remain.

7. Alfa Romeo 147/Giulietta

For all its faults - and there are quite a few - I’ve always had a soft spot for the old Alfa Romeo 147. And a big part of its appeal is the looks. The sharper mid-life facelift perhaps wasn’t quite as pretty, but it’s still a fine-looking thing. The Giulietta? Not so much. It looks far too chubby, and those headlights give it an unfortunate bug-eye look. Plus, the gap between the headlights and the trademark triangular Alfa grille is just too damn big.

Can you think of any new cars that don’t look as good as their predecessors? Or do you think I’m moaning about nothing? Either way, let us know in the comments!