Published: November 8, 2016, 8:10 AM
Updated: November 14, 2016, 4:06 PM
In search of past glory
There was a time when the Lincoln Continental reigned supreme atop the American luxury car hierarchy – the car of choice for movie stars and heads of states. But that was more than 50 years ago. Can the new Continental restore that lost glory?
By Mark Richardson
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Tough mission
That’s the mission of the 2017 Lincoln Continental, an all-new $57,000 full-size luxury sedan from Ford’s premium car brand, with the emphasis on luxury. The Continental name debuted as a personal luxury vehicle in 1939, hit its stride with the timelessly beautiful MkII model of the mid-fifties and is now most-remembered as the car in which U.S. President John F. Kennedy died in 1963. But its stature declined from there and it’s been absent from the market for more than a decade. Which makes its current mission a tall order.
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Auspicious debut
The new model made an auspicious debut in concept form at the New York auto show in 2015 – amid charges of Bentley styling larceny – and as a more restrained near-final production version at the Detroit auto show last January, where it attracted more positive attention. Now we’ve given the real thing a thorough assessment, including from behind the wheel, to see just how it stacks up.
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Prestigious look
The new car certainly looks prestigious from the outside. Its standard wheels are 19 inchers, like those seen here, though 20-inch wheels with specially-created tires are also available.
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New signature grille
The all-new grille is even shaped in a pattern like small Lincoln logos.
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Sleek profile
The profile is intended to come across as very sleek, helped by the door handles being integrated into the chrome beltline just below the windows.
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Light touch
Those handles are electronic – touch the latch on the inside of the handle and the door opens automatically if you have the key fob with you.
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Battery backup
There are none of the usual rods and cables inside the door for the opening mechanism, but if the battery should go flat, it’ll allow the door to open up to 20 times before the battery must be recharged. There’s also an emergency key hidden in the fob, with a secret latch in the door.
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Lincoln Approach
In fact, just approach the car with the key fob and the lights will come on gradually and a “puddle light” will shine a Lincoln logo on the ground beside the door. This not only looks welcoming, but it also warns if there’s a puddle you might step in!
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Spacious luxury
There’s plenty of space inside for four or five adults if they’re not too tall. The roof height is a little low for rear-seat passengers. I’m six feet tall and my hair brushed against the headliner.
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More luxury optional
There’s an option for the “rear-seat package,” which costs $5,000, that lets the heated and cooled rear seats recline and change their lumbar support as well as massaging you. There are additional vents and window shades included in the package, plus inflatable seat belts.
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Panormic moonroof
The rear-seat package also includes a panoramic, two-section moonroof that fills almost the entire roof. It can be bought as a separate option for $2,200 without the rear package, if you prefer.
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30-way driver’s seat
Those features are nothing compared to the driver’s seat, however. The standard seat is adjustable in 10 ways, but a 24-way seat is also available. And if that’s not enough, there’s a class-busting 30-way seat that costs an additional $750.
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Perfect position
The “Perfect-position” seat, as Lincoln calls it, includes independent thigh extensions, massage, and lumbar support for both the upper and lower back. If you can’t get comfortable in this seat, you’re not human!
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Sporty option
While the focus is on luxury, the new Continental has options for a sportier driving mode, changing the responses of the throttle, transmission and steering, as well as the suspension damping and the engine sound. But make no mistake; it’s not a sporty car. That’s for the other guys.
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Driver’s cocoon
Lincoln calls it “quiet luxury” and it’s intended to be a cocoon away from the hustle and bustle of the road.
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Quiet indeed
The cabin is very quiet indeed. There is acoustic glass in the windshield and front side windows, like many luxury cars, but also in the rear side windows. The idea is that the passengers in the back should be just as comfortable as those in the front – a particularly important feature in the Chinese market where Lincoln has serious aspirations.
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Noise cancellation
There’s also active noise cancellation through the Continental’s sound system. We didn’t drive the car with the standard 10-speaker audio system, but we did drive it with the optional 19-speaker system, custom tuned for the interior of each car, and the sound was very impressive indeed.
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Audio upgrade
There’s a $1,250 upgrade to a 13-speaker Revel system, but to get the 19-speaker system, you have to buy the $5,500 Luxury package, which also gives you premium LED headlights. It’s a costly addition, and it’s only available with the more expensive engine.
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Engine choices
On the subject of engines, there are two V-6 choices available: a 2.7-litre Ecoboost, and a 3.0-litre Ecoboost. The car with the smaller engine and no other options costs $57,000, plus $1,900 for Freight and PDI.
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Mid-level ‘Reserve’
The 2.7L version is also available in an upgraded “Reserve” version for $60,500, which includes the 13-speaker sound system and the 24-way front seats.
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Top-end trim
The larger-engine model starts at $63,500 and it comes standard with the “Reserve” options and the ability to order the “Luxury” package with the top-end sound system and LED lights.
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Shared engine
The smaller engine is the same powerplant that’s found in the Lincoln MKX crossover, seen here. It makes 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, with fuel consumption of 14.0 L/100 km in the city and 9.5 on the highway, for a combined average of 12.0.
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More powerful variant
The 3.0L engine makes 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, with fuelconsumption of 14.4 L/100 km in the city and 9.7 on the highway, for an average of 12.3. Not bad in either case for a car this big but neither can be considered fuel misers.
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Push-button transmission
Harkening back to the past, the Continental’s six-speed automatic transmission is operated by a push-button system, as in almost all other current Lincolns, placed to the left of the central display screen. This configuration opens up space ino the cabin without a lever sticking out of the centre console.
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Easy touch
The central display is a full touch screen. It accommodates pinches to zoom the map, and swipes between apps.
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Torque-vectoring AWD
All Canadian cars come with all-wheel-drive, and the 3.0L engine version includes torque vectoring control – it sends extra power to the outside wheels when cornering, for greater stability.
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Not for Canada
In the U.S., there’s a special “Black Label” version available with 20-inch wheels, as well as front-wheel drive in all trim levels. Americans can also get a non-turbo 3.7-litre engine on the basic model, and in China there’s a 2.0L four-cylinder.
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Chinese aspirations
China is expected to be a big market for the Continental. It’s the equivalent of a long-wheelbase sedan, which is popular model there. Its length is slightly longer than an Audi A6L, which was considered a benchmark for competition.
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Watching your back
The standard model comes with blind-spot detection in the mirrors and rear cross-traffic alert at the back, for reversing out of shopping mall parking spaces or driveways.
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Active Cruise control
A Technology package is available for $3,000 that includes active cruise control. It will hold its speed on the road, but if there’s a car in front, it will follow its speed and bring the Continental right down to a complete stop if that car stops.
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Parking assistant
The Technology package also includes a 360-degree surround camera system, lane-keeping assistance and even parking assistance. The Continental will park itself autonomously, both parallel to the curb on the street, and perpendicular in a parking lot. So will the Ford Edge, but this is still a remarkable feature.
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Relaxed ride
The best part about the Continental, though, is its relaxed ride. As Lincoln says, this is not a performance car or a sports car – it’s a large American sedan that offers a quiet and luxurious drive.
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Quiet speedometer
Even the instrumentation offers a “quiet” mode, with a single sweep of light acting as a speedometer.
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Gauges if you wish
If you prefer, you can set the display to a more conventional look of gauges and readouts.
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So comfortable!
One thing’s for sure: get comfortable in those Perfect Position seats and start listening to some tunes on the Revel sound system and you won’t want to get out of the car. The 2017 Continental will arrive at Lincoln dealerships in Canada in December 2016.
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