DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Lincoln Continental leaked ahead of unveil

Ford’s US luxury brand, Lincoln, suffered a security breach late last night when an image of its still-secret Continental sedan leaked ahead of its official launch at the Detroit motor show early next week.

The Continental is the American car-maker’s controversial take on a BMW 7 Series and replaces the current, slow-selling MKS sedan.

The big sedan concept courted controversy when it was revealed last year, only to have Bentley’s then chief designer accuse the Continental of being a copy of the Bentley Flying Spur in a Facebook spat.

It’s not known how that issue was resolved but, from this single low-res, grainy image it’s clear the new car does sport a new pair of front headlights.

On sale in the US and China later this year, the Continental is to be powered by an all-new turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 and could come with the option of all-wheel drive.

Measuring in around the same size as the MKS, the new Continental is around 4.9m long and 1.9m wide and marks a change in design direction for the American brand and the end to its signature split-wing grille.

Running on large 21-inch wheels, the low-slung luxury saloon concept boasts a huge sunroof that uses smart glass that can electronically switch from clear to opaque to keep interior temperatures low even in direct sunlight.

Inside, Lincoln says its new car uses "the brand’s most sensual materials ever" to create its interior. With wool carpet, satin headlining and a mixture of leather and Alcantara, plus lots of mood lighting, the Continental mimics what Mercedes offers with its Mercedes-Maybach models.

The new Continental model is part of a $3.2b investment by Ford to help boost global Lincoln sales, including in China, where long-wheelbase luxury sedans  are a fast-growing segment.

Unfortunately for us, the big Lincoln has already been ruled out for Australia as there are currently no plans to launch the luxury brand here.

It was hoped Lincoln might have followed its arch-rival, Cadillac, Down Under but a highly placed source within the US car-maker, speaking to motoring.com.au, has already confirmed that Australia isn’t on its radar.