‘Quiet Luxury’ and Twin-Turbo V-6 Highlight Return of Lincoln Continental

DETROIT – It’s hard to underplay the importance of the all-new Lincoln Continental to the future of Ford’s luxury marque.

“This car is very critical – it’s the flagship,” says Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra in an interview with WardsAuto on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show. “It is the next step in our portfolio. It is our most significant step so far.”

Revealed in production trim at the Detroit show, Lincoln hopes the ’17 Continental large luxury sedan can bring the beleaguered brand back to relevance in the market. But given that sales are flat for luxury cars in general, and were off by 10.4% for Lincoln’s MKS and MKZ sedans in 2015 according to WardsAuto data, the new model faces a tough challenge from the minute it goes on sale this fall.

Lincoln sales improved 7.1% in 2015 on the strength of the Navigator large luxury SUV and the compact luxury MKC CUV, but the car that the Continental replaces in the Lincoln lineup, the MKS large luxury sedan, was down nearly 16% in 2015 on sales of just 6,877 units, WardsAuto data shows.

The Continental joins the fray wearing an iconic moniker from Lincoln’s past and riding on a widened and lengthened version of the CD4 chassis underpinning the MKZ and Ford Fusion sedans. Lincoln promises its new flagship will offer first-class transportation for buyers in the U.S. and China, competing with the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Continental pricing starts at about $60,000.

“The Continental name has long been associated with the ultimate in Lincoln beauty and luxury,” says Galhotra, referring to the car that was a mainstay of the Lincoln lineup for six decades before it was dropped from the portfolio after the ’02 model year.

“With the all-new model, we are focusing on creating more human, personally tailored experiences for our clients – providing what we call quiet luxury.”

Power comes from a Lincoln-exclusive 3.0L twin-turbocharged V-6 in the 3.0T model, producing an estimated 400 hp and 400 lb.-ft. (542 Nm) of torque. Power runs through a 6-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, with Dynamic Torque Vectoring to direct power to the rear wheel with grip in corners.

Besides the 3.0L turbo V-6 that Continental shares with the ’17 MKZ, two other engines are available, a 3.7L naturally aspirated V-6 and a 2.7L turbocharged V-6, both with 6-speed automatics, in front- and all-wheel drive.

Galhotra says market research shows that only a small percentage of potential Continental customers are bothered by owning a transverse-engine, front-drive-biased flagship. “A very large segment don’t care – or they can’t tell you – whether their car is front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive.”

Feature-Laden Lincoln Flagship

A host of electronic features are available, including Lincoln Drive Control that offers Comfort, Normal or Sport settings for suspension, steering, engine and transmission response; Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection to provide automatic braking in an impending crash; adaptive cruise control with full stop-and-go capability, and parallel and perpendicular parking assistance.

A version of FordPass, an all-encompassing system of customer service and concierge offerings announced at the Detroit show, is offered as Lincoln Way in the luxury brand.

Galhotra says “quiet luxury” means Lincoln customers can expect elegant beauty and subtle, unique touches that provide an understated but premium experience.

For instance, exterior LED lighting illuminates sequentially in a “smile” to greet the owner on approach to the vehicle, while electronic handles that blend into the door panels light up and gently unlatch the door when grasp.

Feature-packed interior includes independently adjustable thigh support.

Inside, passenger comfort is assured through seat thigh bolsters that adjust for each side of the seat, rather than as one extendable unit. The split-adjusting support is one of 50 patents Lincoln holds on its seat technology.

Rear outboard seats are heated, reclining and massaging, yet still capable of split-folding for long cargo.

Four trim levels are available: high-end Black Label, Reserve, Select and Premier. Black Label comes in three themes, a blue-hued Rhapsody trim with Alcantara, saddle-leather Thoroughbred and white-and-cream-tinged Chalet.

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