The Continental is Lincoln’s iconic flagship sedan. Now, after 14 years since Lincoln discontinued the legendary nameplate, it’s back! First showcased as the Continental Concept at the 2015 New York Auto Show, it wasn’t long before Lincoln announced that they would actually build a production version. Less than a year after that statement the official tenth-generation 2017 Lincoln Continental was introduced at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.
BOLD EXTERIOR STYLING
Lincoln certainly got things right this time around. The 2017 Lincoln Continental is heavily based on the concept and delivers a bold exterior design. Quite often manufacturers stray far from the concept design to the actual production ready vehicle, frequently disappointing fans. The 2017 Continental, being a production car, has to obey to certain laws and regulations, but it still undeniably resembles the concept.
The changes are few and between. For starters the 2017 Lincoln Continental gets a mildly revised grille, production-ready headlights and a slightly different front bumper design. The slender air vents have been replaced by larger openings and the chrome strip from the apron has been removed for a more homogeneous appearance. Overall the front end design makes an impactful statement, oozing luxury, elegance and boldness.
Round back of the 2017 Continental you may notice some larger changes compared to the concept design. Proportions have shifted slightly and tail lights give a higher end appearance with their sleek design and integration into the full width LED strip. A dual exhaust blends seamlessly into an elegant and shapely rear end design.
Another feature setting apart the 2017 Lincoln Continental are the e-latch doors, which are discreetly integrated into the beltline, providing a more streamlined and graceful look. They pop out with the touch of a button and close and secure automatically. The 2017 Continental greets its driver with a signature LED lighting sequence and a projected Lincoln logo “floor mat” as you approach.
LAVISH INTERIOR ADORNMENTS
The inviting cabin of the 2017 Lincoln Continental is outfitted with top notch leather, wood grain and chrome materials throughout and are all put together in a high quality build. The cavernous interior offers plenty of space for driver and all passengers with tons of headroom and a huge amount of legroom for all passengers. The full length panoramic sun roof really brightens things up and immediately gives the feeling of bright, open cheerfulness!
The seating in the 2017 Continental is by far the most impressive interior feature. Supple leather adorns a comfortable yet support seat allowing for a cozy and comfy ride over long distances. The seats come with a massaging function, heating and cooling, and are adjustable in over 30 different directions including leg support, side support, head support and 3 different lumbar adjustments.
The Lincoln Continental has always conjured up memories of being driven around as a rear seat passenger and chauffeured to and from the airport in luxury, comfort and style. The 2017 Continental very much lives up to this memory but brings a bold design and integrates modern day technologies. Rear passengers can be assured of plenty of legroom and a luxurious chauffeured experience. Take things one step further with the Continental’s Rear Seat Package, offering rear passengers their own controls and screen in the center armrest allowing for separate climate control and the control of the audio system. The Rear Seat Package also brings reclining, heated and cooled seats to the rear, along with the full range of adjustability and a massaging feature.
SMOOTH LINCOLN RIDE
The legendary smooth and comfortable Lincoln ride is present more than ever in the 2017 Lincoln Continental. Smooth acceleration, minimal road noise transfer and an amazing dampening system both contribute to a driving feeling similar to floating on a cloud.
Equipped with a 3.0L six cylinder engine outputting 400hp and paired to a six speed transmission, the 2017 Continental has plenty of power to haul around the large frame of this full sized sedan. As expected the fuel consumption suffers and yields a posted rate of 14.4 L/100km in the city and 9.7 L/100km on the highway. Our 300km test drive produced a combined 14.8 L/100km consumption rate with mostly city driving and also some spirited acceleration.
The 3.0-liter V6 fitted under the hood uses two turbochargers to produce 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque in its most potent form. It’s smooth, linear and quiet when you want it to be, and punchy with a nice soundtrack when you’re in the mood for a spirited drive. Dynamic Torque Vectoring stops the Continental from torque steering as well.
Despite the size of the 2017 Lincoln Continental, I found it quite easy to maneuver around the city. The full array of sensors and cameras make easy work of parking and for those that don’t want to practice their parking skills, the Active Park Assist feature will parallel or reverse stall park the car for you automatically!
FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all, the 2017 Continental is a beautiful vehicle providing an amazingly comfortable ride, but I did find a few minor flaws for me personally. By no means is the trunk small, but for a full size Lincoln sedan, I was expecting a bit more storage space. I also found the base model engine noise to permeate into the cabin, which I wasn’t expecting from my riding experience with the previous generation Lincoln Continentals.
With an MSRP of just $45,500, you get a lot of car, luxury and technology for the money. The exterior definitely turns heads, while the interior provides for the real Lincoln experience!
