The new Lincoln Continental will mark the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic names in American automotive history, and judging by a prototype recently spotted in the testing stage, it looks like it will be heavily based on the Ford Taurus.
The prototype Continental is heavily camouflaged, but it’s good that there are a few design elements that are obvious on the spy photos. The car apparently will come with LED headlights and a grille reminiscent of Bentley and Jaguar grilles, but aside from those elements and the Taurus-like basic design, there’s little else to glean from the images. The possibility of the Continental being based on the Taurus platform does suggest that the upcoming full-size car will not come with rear-wheel drive, but if it really will be based on Ford’s full-size sedan, that means buyers can expect reclining and massaging rear seats, and a lot of room for passengers in the back.
In terms of powertrain options, that could also mean that the upcoming Lincoln Continental will be powered by a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 for the Chinese market, though we already know that American buyers will get a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with front- or all-wheel drive.