Lincoln Continental previews flashy new full-size sedan
Concept based on enlarged Ford Fusion platform
What is it? The return of the iconic Continental badge and the Lincoln brand to the fullsized luxury sedan market it abandoned with the demise of the Town Car in 2011.
Said to be based on an enlarged mid-size Fusion platform, the Lincoln is powered by a turbocharged, 3.0-litre six-cylinder with all-wheel drive.
More important for the car’s intended customers — chauffeured Chinese plutocrats — the Continental’s primary purpose is to pamper passengers, highlighted by plush, 1970sstyle seats that feature 30-way adjustments with individual thigh support. When is it coming? The big Lincoln sedan is actually closer to production than anyone
without a badge thought. Expect the Continental to go on sale to wealthy Chinese business folks and North American livery firms sometime next year.
Why does it matter? Y ou can’t be a luxury brand without a flagship sedan, or so say the experts. The Continental luxobarge fulfills that role for Lincoln, and gives the Ford luxury brand another relevant product for its Asian markets. Specifically, the Continental, MKX, and MKC are all key to Lincoln’s goal to grow to 300,000 annual sales by the end of this decade, with the majority of that growth coming in the world’s largest luxury sedan market, China, where Lincoln was relaunched last year. Should you buy it? I’m sure Lincoln will sell a few Continentals to Canadians who can’t stomach the thought of buying a German car. But where Lincoln is counting on big sales is — yes, you guessed it! — in China.