2017 Lincoln Continental Leaked: Looks a Bit Disappointing, Is This a Low-End Trim?

The image came to us courtesy of Ford Inside News forums and we have to admit we were a bit shocked when we first saw it. That's because there's quite a difference between what we have here and the lavish concept that greeted us at the New York Auto Show last year (you can see this in the gallery below).

For one thing, the LED light clusters are gone and so are the massive chrome wheels. As the forum members aptly noted, the average features seen here probably mean this is a lower-spec model, which is far from what Ford's plush brand needs in order to make a statement at the upcoming Detroit event.

On the tech front, the situation is more than promising

When it comes to the 2017 Continental's tech side, we have nothing but good news for you. We'll start with the engine compartment - now that the MKZ packs an all-new 3-liter twin-turbo V6 churning out 400 ponies, this will make its way into the Conti. Wait, that nickname belongs to Bentley models... well, we expect to be excused for the confusion, given the fact that the two automakers are aiming for almost identical nameplates.

The hefty output mentioned above will be sent to all four wheels with the help of a system that could benefit from the lessons Ford has learned while working with GKN on the 2016 Focus RS all-wheel-drive system, so we expect the Continental's handling to be on the inspiring side.

Luckily, we don't have too much waiting to do until we can give you a proper take on the matter.