Maybe it’s because we like the current Mercedes SL very much, maybe because our expectations were too high, but we don’t like this new SL. Like at all!

But, like it or not it is here and it’s here to stay for at least a decade. The new-look 2013 Mercedes SL will get its official world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in early 2012 and in a year or so its AMG versions will arrive.

The problem with the new SL is that it looks too much like an SLK. Honesty an uninterested eye won’t be able to tell them apart. Now, a large part of SL’s appeal is showing it off, because it’s an expensive convertible. But what’s the point now that it looks like a 30 grand car.

And anyway, what’s with those stupid headlights for crying out loud! They look like the eyes of a bewildered simpleton. At the back they tried to create a fancy look with taillights from the Mercedes CLS, but even those are a bit ungainly.

It seems as if Mercedes designers had no idea what they’re doing, so they took the front and rear ends of the SLK and put it on the old SL. The middle is basically unchanged over the last model. It pains us to say this, but the new BMW 6 Series is a much better looking car.

Official details of the car are expected to be released soon, but we can already tell you the car will launch with SL350 – powered by a 306 hp V6 – and SL500 models- 410 hp and 600 Nm of torque. The 350 does o to 100 km/h in about 6 seconds and the SL500 in slightly over 4.6 seconds.

Pricing starts at a whopping 93.534 Euro for SL350 and 117.096 Euro for the 500. We take the old one, thank you!