At the Detroit Auto Show, the 2017 Lincoln Continental rolled on stage in production form, a vehicle which comes to us nearly identical to the concept car from last year.
The Lincoln Continental you see here is indeed nearly identical to the Continental Concept car from last year, though thankfully it lost some of the garish chrome trims which were over the top. And while it stirred a lot of controversy for being a Bentley knock-off, it is easy on the eyes.
It’s based on a slightly enlarged chassis borrowed from the Ford Fusion, that if we get the next generation Ford Taurus it will also share. This is why it has a front-wheel drive stance and silhouette, because it is. All-wheel drive of course is an option, but there is no rear-wheel drive here.
The new face of Lincoln is definitely different than the spit wing designs of before and will certainly get your attention as will the very upscale looking jeweled LED headlamps. That trim element you see down the side gracefully hides electric door openers which is a nice high-tech touch.
The rear of the Continental might be its best face though, with a nice square yet sculpted set of forms and handsomely conceived LED tail lights. Dual exhausts and a set of nice shoulders just give it a look of authority and a planted stance.
The interior of the production car also lost some of the tacky ovations we saw in the concept, namely all that chrome trim. While there still is a good deal of bright work, the finishes and forms come across much more tastefully now.
Tech will be front and center with Lincoln’s version of the SYNC 3 infotainment and connectivity suite. Lincoln boasts of a clear and sharp 360 degree camera system which displays on that nice large touch screen.
The 30-way adjustable front seats made the cut and will be available in a wide variety of bespoke leather colors and patterns. You can get them heated and cooled, a feature set also available to rear seat rear seat passengers.
In fact the Continental will offer the driven soul a number of high-end amenities like rear controls for infotainment and seat massagers in addition to all the space the long wheelbase of the Continental affords. This is really more a play to the Chinese market than here at home as they dig this stuff.
In reading through Lincoln’s press materials, their larges point to be made is that the Continental will offer drivers and passengers the ultimate in serenity and quiet luxury. Quiet luxury is their new theme here. And no doubt it will be just that.
Powering the Continental’s front wheels will be two engines, the base mill not yet specified but likely either the 3.7 liter V6 or a 2.7 liter EcoBoost V6. The optional engine touted as the main attraction is a new Lincoln exclusive 3.0 liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque.
That engine can drive all four-wheels through a torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system. Handling and driving character will be customizable from soft and cushy to firm and taut with Lincoln Drive Control which handles steering, suspension, and power-train response metrics.
