New Lincoln Continental Epitomizes Luxury and Elegance

The new Lincoln Continental symbolizes luxury and elegance right from the time you approach the vehicle. In a world where luxury is attributed to glaringly garish bling, the Continental is all about understated refinement. The subtle touches and inviting interiors differentiate the Continental from other vehicles in its class.

The Continental comes to life as the owner approaches. The illuminated welcome mat is projected onto the ground under both front doors from a distance of eight feet so that any puddle or debris is clearly visible. The car detects the presence of the keyfob in the owner’s hand and even the door handles glow in a shade that matches the external shade of the vehicle. This Approach Detection technology makes the user experience warm and comfortable right from the start. The signature LED accent lights on the headlamp and tail-lights add to the effect.

The E-Latch door handles are exclusive to the Lincoln and are tucked in discreetly to present a clean beltline. All you need to do is press a button on the handle to activate the microprocessor that opens the door. As soon as the driver enters the vehicle and closes the door, the auto-folding pedestal side-view mirrors move into driving position.

Other subtle welcoming touches include the ambient interior lights on the door panels, instrument panel, and cupholders which provide enough light to see clearly but are not harsh. The push to start button also glows faintly signaling that the car is ready to go. The materials used in the interiors are highly luxurious and of the highest quality including Bridge of weir leather seats and door panels, a satin headliner, and shearling wool carpeting.

The front seats use patented Lincoln-designed Perfect Position technology and are inspired by the seats in private aircraft, with a patented comfort carrier system that easily adjusts to the body contours, thus adding to the comfort factor. The seats have heating, cooling and massaging functionality, and have up to 30-way adjustability in order to confirm to the shapes and sizes of passengers.

The seats are exceedingly comfortable not only due to the materials used and their greater adjustability but also due to the patented flexible comfort carrier. This is a suspension system of plastic and a thin layer of foam that flexes around the body, thus relieving the stress on the shoulders and neck.

Two extending thigh cushions, which are independently adjustable provide support for the lower body and legs. They can be extended or moved up or down, and this allows the driver to further personalize the adjustments as each leg may different needs when it comes to the support that is required – he may use one leg for the pedals while keeping the other at rest. The massage functions in the back and cushion is another factor that adds to the comfort factor during the ride. Providing rolling-pattern massage, the massage function can help reduce muscle fatigue, aches and pains by stimulating the blood vessels and muscles in the legs and lower back.

One of the most outstanding features of the car is its Revel sound system. The system offers a mobile concert quality listening experience which is as good as that experienced when listening to very high-end home audio systems. The 13-speaker Revel audio system and 19-speaker Revel Ultima system turns the Continental into a concert hall with the use of Point Source Architecture, Field Balancing Shorting Rings and auto-adjusting “Clarif-Fi” in order to match source quality with the precise level of audio reconstruction.

The quality of the audio system in the car is more important than ever, especially if the motorist spends a lot of time travelling. The Revel audio systems have been designed and tested through computer-aided design, three-dimensional models, in presentation rooms and have undergone testing in vehicles. Each system has been designed specifically for that vehicle, with the placement, tuning, calibration and number of speakers being customized to ensure outstanding audio quality and audio accuracy. Every Revel audio system is also tuned to the trim of the vehicle, as the quality of the sound changes when the interior materials are changed.

It is not all about the driver alone. The passenger-side rear seat, too, can be fully reclined by using a button yto move the front passenger seat forward. It is possible for rear seat passengers to control the Revel audio system through a panel mounted on the through-centre console and they can choose from one of the three optional surround-sound modes – Stereo, Audience, and On-Stage – as well as regulate the climate settings. It would be interesting to see what happens when occupants of the car have different preferences.

Another factor that adds to the rear-seat comfort is an SPD SmartGlass tinting sunroof. This allows passengers to control heat from direct sunlight. The temperature can be brought down by as much as eight degrees Celsius with a simple touch of the button. The glass also blocks 99 per cent of UV rays.

Lincoln’s flagship full-size sedan is an all-new version for 2017, but it is also a fresh take on what has turned into an icon. Luxury customers look for three main attributes in their full-sized sedan; technologies that ease their everyday experience, a beautiful design that is crafted with attention to detail, and a vehicle with impressive power that makes it a pleasure to drive. The 2017 Lincoln Continental ticks all these boxes and is definitely a worthy addition to the luxury segment.