One Way Or Another, The 2017 Lincoln Continental Is Stunning

One of the nicest surprises of the show came Tuesday from the Lincoln stand, where there were no flashing lights and no One Direction blasting out of speakers in front of weary journalists. The 2017 Lincoln Continental that was the star of the stand, however, was not a surprise.

That was inevitable, because the 2017 Continental sticks very closely to the concept that bore the same name at last year’s New York Auto Show. And because it was met with such polarized opinions, the response to the production car is equally mixed. I, however, have sort of come around on the new Continental.

It’s impressive how many interesting features Lincoln slathered their new flagship with. Mock the attention on the door handles, but they are so severely impressive – a retro metal weight mated to soft-open and soft-close features so you’ll never slam a door again. I was briefly trapped inside, however, because the door release is a small button on the lower interior door panel. At least that looks good, too.

The seats are also fascinating. They’re 30-way adjustable and they really have thought of every way to adjust them, such as the different heights your thighs can be should you choose. Your front passenger will be amused by this, although if you’re driving the Continental you’re probably going to spend a lot of time in the garage figuring out the best position.

And then there’s the fact you can get it in the outrageous blue leather/blue everywhere in the interior from the concept, a brave choice for sure. I’d like to think a matching velour suit comes with the car.

For all of its “wow” factor, there’s something not quite right with the Continental. Against the Volvo S90, also a relaxed luxury sedan that was shown just down the hall, the Lincoln isn’t as elegant. I think it’s the grille. What was the last Lincoln to have a “right” grille?

Then there’s the whole issue of it being attached to the humble Ford Fusion and the fact you can get the 400-horsepower turbo engine in the 2017 Lincoln MKZ, too. For all of the novelty features, is there going to be enough substance to the Continental once it’s out on the road? I’m cautiously optimistic.

But the most important thing is that the Continental has people talking about Lincoln again. That’s half the battle right there.

Photos Zac Estrada / Carscoops.com