All New Lincoln Continental

After almost a decade and a half of absence, the Lincoln Continental has been reborn as the flagship of the range and with the return of the Continental, looks like the luxury brand of Ford is heading towards its great revival as long as there's demand to it. The new car promises to be impossible to ignore thanks to its world class features and design but is it worth promising, I dare say?

2017 Lincoln Continental

In order for the new Continental to get ready to entice a new generation of luxury car buyers, it must first distinguish its rivals first and judging from its position, the new Continental's potential targets would possibly be an Audi A6, a Buick LaCrosse, or even the Cadillac XTS. Although looks sharp to look at, which reminds everyone of the concept car last year, the new Continental is basically a front-wheel drive as standard (with an optional all-wheel drive if you're living in the Pacific Northwest where rain is very likely or parts of the East Coast where it suffers from a polar vortex), meaning that it's going to behave like a commoners' car on the road. Design-wise, the new Continental influences it from the concept car, making it a clear example why carmakers should stick to the concept in terms of exterior design because that pleases them, not like Subaru when they make their production vehicles less in common with their concepts. With the design is so attention-grabbing, even Bentley's not happy with it because it resembles more like their Flying Spur saloon. One thing that bothers me the most is its rear view because it has some resemblance to the Hyundai Grandeur, see what I mean?

2017 Lincoln Continental interior

2017 Lincoln Continental interior

Of course, being the flagship in Lincoln's range, the new Continental features a well-tailored, well-mannered interior that you will spend hours and hours toying around the buttons while discovering how these features work. Starting with the SYNC 3, which was first applied on the recently facelifted Ford Escape crossover and Fusion saloon. Evolved from the least-loved version, the new SYNC 3 features voice activation system that responds to your voice. Of course, before anyone discovering that one on the new Continental, they're starting to think that SYNC 3 is starting to be more responsive compared to the previous SYNC, although there are some chinks to be worked out.

The seating is one of the key points of the new Continental and upfront, you are greeted with the Perfect Position seats which has 30 ways to adjust from top to bottom. On the rear view, where it has spacing big enough for the wealthy billionaire to be accommodated with, the available Rear Seat Package featuring power lumbar support, heating and cooling capabilities, and a reclining seat will be a sure fire thing to make sure the Continental stays classy, feels classy for the big bosses in the metro.

With an interior like this, the new Continental really makes us beg to accommodate with, no matter the odds.

2017 Lincoln Continental

Okay, what about driving? Despite being utilized on the Ford CD4 platform, the new Continental feels very unique in every single way and it tries to equate with the Europeans at ease. Up close and personal, it comes with an available Dynamic Torque Vectoring which transfers power to the rear wheel while driving through corners, making its handling worthy of being matched to the Europeans while catching up to the likes of its compatriots from America such as the Buick LaCrosse and the Cadillac XTS. It's got Adaptive Steering which adjusts steering feel at different speeds, depending on where the driver is heading at, which is good by a long shot by the way.

Three V6 engines are offered on the new Continental such as a 2.7, a 3.7, and a more powerful 3.0L GTDi engine which produces over 400HP of power and an EPA-estimated fuel consumption of 19MPG combined, all mated to a 6-speed gearbox that can be operated by the buttons mounted on the front of a dashboard, a classic modern Lincoln trick that shoos away the most speedo boys in the night.

In tune with the times, the Lincoln Continental has loads of tech that will keep it advanced for tomorrow. From the 360-degree camera display on the monitor, Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection and Active Braking, Active Noise Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lincoln Drive Control, and Auto Hold, these features made the Continental a one step ahead to the future in its class. You could really spend a lot of hours trying to get to know about these features unique to the Continental.

Should you buy it? The new Lincoln Continental starts at $44,560, which is a thousand less than the Cadillac XTS, making it a hard bargain for an executive premium saloon that has front wheel drive in the beginning and if you're a big spender, you can spec it out with options to bring out the best of your new Continental. Sounds costly but this is how a proper Lincoln should be. With this new car, you can expect a heated competition from this category, although the reborn model is a bit young at first but it will mature through the competition, you'll see.

Available colors: White Platinum, Ingot Silver, Midnight Sapphire Blue, Magnetic Gray, Diamond Black, Jade Green, Palladium White Gold, and Ruby Red.

Photo: Ford Motor Company