Lincoln revives the Continental, with eye on China

The 3.0L EcoBoost designed for the Continental still doesn’t have any confirmed numbers but it is projected to be in the 400 horsepower, 400 lb-ft torque range.

In 2014, Ford said it hoped to triple Lincoln’s global sales by 2020 to 300,000 vehicles globally, from 100,000 in 2013.

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. The Continental has available heated and cooled seats; they also have a massage feature as well as independent thigh extensions for more support. All told, the Continental is the most upscale-looking Lincoln in recent memory. Other engines will be offered, but full technical details haven’t been announced yet.

Lincoln sales improved 7.1% in 2015 on the strength of the Navigator large luxury SUV and the compact luxury MKC CUV, but the auto that the Continental replaces in the Lincoln lineup, the MKS large luxury sedan, was down almost 16% in 2015 on sales of just 6,877 units, WardsAuto data shows. The door handles on the production vehicle aren’t in the middle of the door panels, but integrated into the Continental’s beltline to maintain that uncluttered side appearance. This is a big opportunity missed by Ford and Lincoln. Take the Perfect Position Seats; inspired by private jets and high-end office furniture, they can be adjusted up to 30 ways and are made of a striking combination of soft leather and cloth. But Lincoln sales fell further.

There will be three available engines for the new Lincoln Continental, but it’s the brand-exclusive 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 that will make waves.

Unlike just about all of its rivals, the Continental rides on a front-wheel drive platform, although all-wheel drive will be standard for most variants. But there’s also a custom-design Revel audio system that, in my brief listening time, is competitive with the Bowers & Wilkins system that Business Insider was blown away by in the new BMW 7 Series. Selectable drive modes through the Lincoln Drive Control system -Normal, Sport, and Comfort – adjust suspension firmness, shift mapping, and steering effort. Sure, the 2017 Continental may have debuted, hence the live photos that sit below, but the press release accompanying the vehicle only solves a part of the puzzle.

The Continental nameplate has always been associated with luxury, and according to Kumar Galhotra, president of Lincoln, “with the all-new model, we are focusing on creating more human, personally tailored experiences for our clients – providing what we call quiet luxury”.

There was no mention of the Ford Bronco, another once-popular discontinued Ford offering the company has hinted the return of.

Meanwhile, Fields said the new Lincoln adds to the momentum the Lincoln brand is building in the U.S.as well as China. And Lincoln’s target customers, the so-called “Creative Elite”, have a vested interest in alternative powertrains.