Road test: 2017 Lincoln Continental

When you hear the name Lincoln Continental, do you automatically conjure images of vast land yachts with front and rear overhangs that stretch as far as the eye can see? This was pretty much the case for me, but time never stands still, and this is why modern-day Cadillacs bear little resemblance to the gargantuan Fleetwoods and Eldorados of yesteryear.

In Lincoln’s case, the impact of changing times is so profound that the Continental nameplate was quietly shelved in 2002 after an almost unbroken run dating from 1939. The brand as a whole had become a pale reflection of its halcyon days, when its ­Continental flagship was the default limo for American presidents, including John F Kennedy.

But the storied marque is now attempting to recapture past glories, and its most-telling statement of intent comes via the new 10th-generation ­Continental. Perhaps you’re reminded of the Jaguar XJ, or even the Bentley Flying Spur, when you look at the image on the right, and I don’t blame you. There clearly are some Jag/Bentley influences there, but the Conti looks stately enough in its own way – it’s certainly more imposing than the nondescript MKS that preceded it.

In terms of dimensions, the Continental is pretty much lineball with the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class, although its pricing (from Dh189,000 to Dh305,000) puts it more in line with the 5 Series, E-Class and A6. There is a reason for this, because in China, which is a key market for the car, it ­competes with the long-wheelbase versions of the 5 Series/E-Class/A6 designed specifically for the world’s most-­populous country.

So what’s the Continental like? Well, in many ways, the newbie makes a positive impression. There are some nice touches, such as the Lincoln-logoed ­“welcome mat” that lights up on the ground as you approach the car.

Touch a button on the prominent chrome door handles and the portals unlatch to make for easy entry/exit. The heavy (soft-close) doors make for vault-like solidity, and the cabin too imparts a predominantly premium feel, with its sumptuous leather trim, 30-way electrically adjustable seats, chrome highlights and polished wooden trim. There are lovely knurled aluminium knobs for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and audio settings, but ­unfortunately this is offset by some cheap-looking plastic buttons and switches seemingly sourced from the Ford parts bin.

The rear compartment is plush, particularly in my range-topping tester, which comes with reclining rear pews and a control panel for the air-conditioning/heater settings and 19-speaker Revel audio system.

It’s a comfortable place to be, and this is important given the Continental will also be competing for hotel-limo ­business.

In terms of the driving experience, the Continental flagship’s 3.0L twin-turbo V6 (a Lincoln-specific motor, although it’s derived from the Ford EcoBoost family) serves up bags of grunt, reflected by a 0-to-100kph split of 5.2 seconds – not bad for a two-tonne-plus limo. Ride quality is soft and floaty, as you would expect from a luxury-orientated American car, and there is ample body roll if you heave it into corners. There is a Sport mode ­activated via a three-step process, but this doesn’t dramatically change the character of the car. In any case, it defaults back to Comfort when you switch off the ignition – non-manic cruising is what the Lincoln’s designed for.

As an overall entity, the ­Continental is a vast improvement on its predecessors, and an encouraging sign of progress from Lincoln. There’s still some way to go to catch up with the Germans, though.

motoring@thenational.ae