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Oh look, it's the 2017 Lincoln Continental

Sorry about the super-low-res photo, but what you're looking at here is the 2017 Lincoln Continental ahead of its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week. The image appeared online courtesy of Ford Inside News, showing the production version of Lincoln's new 400-horsepower sedan. The front fascia certainly looks different than the gussied-up concept we first saw in New York last year, but as the Ford forum suggests, this could just be a lower-spec model. Seems weird to us that Lincoln would introduce some snazzy, full-LED headlights and then just slap projector beam units on the actual production car. But you never know. We'll know for sure when the car is revealed at Cobo Hall next week. Expect it to have all-wheel drive with the company's new 400-hp, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 (that debuted in the MKZ in Los Angeles). Let us know what you think of the production-spec Conti, in Comments. Related Video:

2019 Lincoln Nautilus First Drive Review | A refresh that's more than skin deep

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Its name is new, but the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus is really a rebranded, restyled and updated version of the second-generation Lincoln MKX, which has been on sale since 2016. Renaming your bestselling vehicle is risky, but Lincoln has been struggling, and it feels the names of its vehicles are partly to blame. Recall that since 2007, Ford's luxury brand has used letters to name some models, including MKZ and MKX, and traditional names on others like Navigator and Continental. Well, now it's ditching the letters and renaming those vehicles. The MKX is now the Nautilus. The smaller MKC is rumored to become the Corsair, which was a name used by Edsel back in the 1950s. The seven-passenger Aviator will go on sale in 2019, and the MKZ's new name is anybody's guess. Zephyr again, maybe? NordicTrack is already taken. Lincoln has also been rolling out a new grille design, which debuted on the Continental in 2017 and replaces the unloved winged look that was supposed to remind luxury buyers of the elegance of the 1939 Lincoln Continental — but didn't. Fitting the new grille to the 2019 Nautilus completes that rollout, and the five-passenger SUV is certainly more handsome than before. Its mesh is a repetition of the Lincoln Star logo, and it works. The SUV's front fascia, headlamps and hood are new as well, and the hood has grown a sizable and attractive center peak. Underneath that hood is a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with direct injection. It's the same engine used in the smaller MKC and the Ford Edge, which shares the Nautilus' chassis, but Lincoln doesn't use the name EcoBoost for this and its other powerplants. The 2.0-liter replaces the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 as the standard engine, and it's rated 250 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm on 93 octane fuel. Those numbers are down from the V6, which was rated 303 hp at 6,500 rpm and 278 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. But Lincoln has also replaced the antiquated six-speed automatic transmission with an eight-speed, so overall performance is comparable, and city fuel economy is up significantly. With the V6 and front-wheel drive, the MKX was rated 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The new combination has a 21 mpg city rating. The considerably more powerful twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 remains optional, rated 335 hp at 5500 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 3250 rpm.

Lincoln plans pilot subscription service for pre-owned vehicles

Lincoln's foray into the world of monthly subscriptions will follow the mold of Ford's Canvas program and launch a pilot service offering a range of pre-owned 2017 Lincoln vehicles in West Los Angeles and the San Francisco area. Lincoln first announced plans for a subscription service on the sidelines of the L.A. Auto Show. The luxury automaker says its new service will allow customers to have a vehicle "as if it were their own," with a monthly payment that covers a prescribed mileage package and includes comprehensive insurance, warranty, maintenance and roadside assistance. It'll be based on Ford's nearly year-old Canvas program, also offered in the Bay Area and West Los Angeles. It offers pre-owned Ford vehicles on a monthly subscription basis, including insurance, maintenance and warranty coverage. Terms for that program are one to 12 months, with an ability to swap cars at any time. While Lincoln didn't announced pricing or a start date for its own subscription program, Canvas' existing service starts at $400 a month, not including tax and depending on vehicle and other options, for pre-owned Ford vehicles. Ford in February said its Canvas fleet has more than 600 customers who've logged more than 3 million miles in the two markets. Lincoln joins a growing list of automakers including Volvo, Cadillac and Porsche who are offering monthly subscription services as an alternative to traditional ownership or leasing. The subscription service will also come with Lincoln's Pickup & Delivery program, in which a valet picks up a customer's vehicle for service at any location and provides them with a loaner Lincoln before returning their vehicle. Lincoln also reiterated its plans to expand its Lincoln Personal Driver service first piloted in San Diego and Miami to Dallas, saying it will soon be integrated into the Lincoln Way mobile app. The service, previously called Lincoln Chauffeur, allows customers to call on a screened personal driver who can also assist with errands while the customers attend to other matters. The luxury brand is emphasizing "warm, human and effortless" services as a way to differentiate itself from its competitors. For more information on Vehicle Subscription Services, check out the Complete Guide. Related Video: