Uniquely Stylish, Continental Fits Like a Glove

Ever wonder what it feels like to be a baseball in a catcher’s mitt?

Climb in the driver’s seat of the all-new Lincoln Continental, trimmed in Alpine Venetian leather and capable of moving every which way for custom comfort, and you’ll have a sense of that enveloping, cradling sensation.

That’s the assessment of at least one WardsAuto editor who found the ideal seating position in the luxury flagship sedan. Mind you, our Black Label test vehicle (priced under $73,000) didn’t even have the nicest seats available in the Continental – the 30-way Perfect Position seats that also give you a massage.

But our 24-way Perfect Position front seats were more than adequate and aptly named, offering something we haven’t seen before: power thigh extenders that function independently, one for each leg.

Show off that feature to your neighbor, in your driveway, with the door open. Each extender moves slowly, at a hypnotic pace, unfurling like a flag in slow motion.

Like the 30-way option, the Continental’s 24-way seat backs are constructed in two pieces and controlled with separate switches, allowing shoulder support to move forward or back. The lower lumbar portion of the seat moves individually as well, with wings on either side that can hold the occupant snugly or leave plenty of wriggle room.

But the Continental is so much more than comfy seats with fetching contrast piping. Its interior design is fresh and invigorating, a reminder of what made Lincoln an iconic brand so many years ago.

VIDEO: INSIDE AWARD-WINNING CONTINENTAL

With the Continental passenger compartment, Lincoln proudly aspires to create its own decidedly American luxury aesthetic, enhanced by cleverly blended metallic trim and gorgeously distinctive deep-grain, shimmering “Silver Wood,” rather than attempting to emulate German luxury.

The Lincoln interior absolutely dazzles, from the six bold colors of nighttime ambient lighting and the chrome-trimmed (and lighted) knee bolsters on either side of the center console to the exemplary fit-and-finish, generously proportioned backseat and Alcantara microsuede headliner and pillar trim. The Continental becomes a soothing sanctuary.

The soul-satisfying Revel Ultima audio system is worth the upgrade, with 19 speakers, a 20-channel hybrid amplifier, QuantumLogic surround sound and Clari-Fi technology to restore the quality of compressed music files. Artfully rendered, the aluminum speaker grates use tiny holes in a sunburst pattern for a far-out psychedelic effect.

One of 19 Revel Ultima audio speakers, artfully rendered.

Look closely – as some of our nitpicking judges do – and you’ll find upscale materials even on the lower door trim; super-fast heat-up time for seats and the steering wheel; and excellent, grippy cupholders with textured rubber bottoms.

On the “user experience” front, the luxury sedan with Sync 3 is equally impressive, with swift Bluetooth phone pairing; top-notch voice activation; a proper mix of buttons and redundant controls on the intuitive touchscreen; first-rate driver-assistance systems; and a digital gauge cluster that can display as much (or as little) information as the driver wants.

The Lincoln Continental interior is nothing short of spectacular.

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