2017 Lincoln Continental: The Flagship Has Come In
Lincoln takes its flagship from showtime to go-time.
When the Lincoln Continental concept made its surprise debut at the New York auto show last spring, it wowed showgoers (with the notable exception of then Bentley design chief Luc Donckerwolke). Having dropped the bombshell concept with little advanced warning, Ford did not play coy with its intentions. The Continental, it said, was headed for production. Thus, the question immediately became: How close would the production version be to the impressive—if admittedly Bentley-esque—show car? Now, we have our answer: very close indeed.
The Continental is the most recent in a slew of new or redesigned Lincoln models (note the MKZ, MKC, MKX, and Navigator). The Continental is a new entry that steps in for the MKS. As Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra notes, “It’s our flagship—it is the most significant step so far.”
Based on a derivation of the CD4 platform, which also underpins the Ford Fusion, the architecture was extensively modified for the Continental. Not only have the wheelbase and the front and rear track been enlarged, the front structure was reengineered to create a longer dash-to-axle ratio to achieve more rear-drive proportions.
The Continental, however, is front-/all-wheel drive. The flagship sedan’s powerplant is a new—and Lincoln-exclusive—3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 making a robust 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Don’t call it an EcoBoost, though, as Lincoln will eschew that designation going forward, not only for the new 3.0T but also for the other engines formerly known as EcoBoost, including the 2.7-liter turbo V-6 that also is offered in the Continental. A naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V-6 rounds out the lineup. (There are no hybrids or plug-ins, at least for now.)
Both the 3.7 and the 2.7 turbo will be offered with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive, while the bad-boy 3.0T is AWD-only. That all-wheel-drive system, by the way, includes torque vectoring across the rear axle. For all engines, a six-speed automatic handles the shifting duties. Selectable drive modes—Normal, Sport, and Comfort—adjust damper firmness, shift mapping, and steering effort.
The exterior design obviously hews closely to the concept. The grille, with a mesh pattern that echoes the Lincoln logo, already has spread to the MKZ, which receives a facelift for 2017. Some of the other elements that carried over from the concept: The door handles do not have conventional hand pockets; instead, the chrome beltline molding curves out to form the handle, and the latch is electronic. (The doors have power cinching, as well.) The seats also carried over intact, with their 50 patents and 30-way adjustment, including separately adjustable support for the driver’s right and left thighs. The Continental is a five-seater, and both outboard rear-seat positions offer heating, cooling, recline, and massage functions.
The Continental will be offered in four trim levels: Premiere, Select, Reserve, and Black Label. The latter comes in three different themes: Chalet (a wintry look with creams and white), Thoroughbred (equine inspired in tans and browns), and—exclusive to the Continental—Rhapsody (which mimics the show-car’s interior with deep blue and lots of chrome).
What won’t be offered is any form of autonomous-driving capability. True, Lincoln will have the expected driver aids: adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, a 360-degree-view camera, and automated parking (parallel and perpendicular, both in and out). Ford’s latest Sync 3 system will be standard, as will Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. But the latest show-off features—hands-off driving, gesture control—aren’t on the menu.
When the Continental goes up against the Lexus GS, Audi A6, Cadillac CT6, and friends in the North American and Chinese markets starting this fall, it won’t do so as the most tech-heavy or the sportiest offering in the class. Instead, Lincoln is espousing the idea of Quiet Luxury. It’s almost an old-school philosophy, but it may be the way forward for an old-school luxury brand trying to make a name for itself with a new generation of buyers.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQWsWFg37WY[/video]
