’17 Lincoln Continental

Lincoln taps its heritage to bring back the Continental, but the 10th-generation '17 model bears little resemblance to Continentals past. Styling is modern with classic cues while the interior offers command over every driving aid and passenger comfort (see related story: Exterior styling, while not groundbreaking, is unique in its take on Lincoln cues such as the high beltline, strong rear haunches and fender kick. From behind the wheel, the broad expanse of the hood split by a subtle centerline crease provides a design element recalling some of the great Continentals past.

Extra attention went into the door handles, which are touch-sensitive pulls mounted at beltline level, making for clean door panels and a special take on the everyday task of simply opening the passenger compartment.

Up front, the prominent chrome-encircled one-piece grille eschews wings and waterfalls for the complex, interlocking pattern of chrome Lincoln-logo vertical outlines introduced on the MKZ.
The rear view features full-width, wraparound taillamps that share their modern appearance with other current Lincolns such as the MKX and MKC small CUV.

Move Over, McConaughey - We're Driving

Ideally, a first drive of the Continental should come at night, where a series of pleasurable events occur before one even opens the car door. On approach, key fob in pocket, the Lincoln lights up with a welcoming brand logo puddle lamp on the tarmac outside the doors, handles illuminate, LED lighting blinks on from the front and rear lamps and the interior glows.

Doors open at a touch and power-cinch close to create an elegant cocoon for the driver settling into the 30-way power adjustable Lincoln-trademarked Perfect Position seat. The seats, adjustable via six internal bladders and featuring unique independently adjustable thigh supports, can be tweaked for that “just right” positioning, with the settings saved in memory.

The seats are a story in themselves, built on a flexible polymer base with a foam layer that allows for a seemingly infinite number of adjustments. Back seats offer ample legroom; our tester included reclining rear seats, with no apparent intrusion on the deep and wide trunk space.

Buttons are in control in the Continental cockpit, from the ignition to the vertical row of shift buttons on the center stack that take some getting used to, but ultimately serves the purpose with simplicity.

The 3-D instrument cluster is reconfigurable – at the touch of a button – to three distinct views: a minimalistic digital speedometer, speedometer/fuel efficiency or analog speedometer and tachometer.

Clean interior layout combines high tech, wood accents.

Our top-shelf AWD Reserve tester checked in at $75,320, including $18,480 in optional equipment. Lesser Continentals can be had with either a 335-hp 2.7L twin-turbo V-6 or a 305-hp 3.7L naturally aspirated V-6.

On the road, the 3.0L V-6 provides plenty of refined power, without any turbocharger hesitation and with ample all-wheel-drive traction to handle the prodigious output. The Continental seems to glide over road imperfections, but without a hint of the boat-on-water floating feel that defined its predecessors.

In Drive, the car defaults to factory “normal” settings, but engaging the car’s sportier side is as simple as pushing the “S” button on the shifter stack, which changes transmission mapping and response, engine calibration, suspension tautness and steering ratio and effort. The sportier setting results in a noticeable 25% change in the variables, noticeable in quicker steering, faster engine response and reduced body roll.

For those desiring a softer ride, comfort settings may be dialed in as the default mode when driving in “D” or can be tuned more aggressively as the settings for the “S” mode. Changes are made via the steering wheel toggles.

The Continental went on sale in September with 3,400 deliveries to date, helping continue Lincoln’s record of sales growth each month in 2016 despite a general decline in the luxury segment. The brand posted a 20% gain in 2015.

In addition, Lincoln sales are skyrocketing in China with 14,000 deliveries through June compared with 10,000 units total in 2015. All Continentals are assembled at Ford’s plant in Flat Rock, MI.

[email protected] @bobgritzinger

'17 Lincoln Continental Specifications

">Lincoln Continental: Not Your Brother-in-Law’s MKZ).