Stationed steps away from one another in the South Hall at the Canadian International AutoShow are entirely different vehicles with similar importance to their company's success.
The reborn Lincoln Continental and new Jaguar F-Pace will enter hot segments – luxury sedans and sport utility vehicles – this year. There's no one quite like an automotive designer to describe a vehicle's intended appeal.
The 2017 Continental, returning to Lincoln's roster in the wake of a 15-year absence, conjures memories of "presidents, limos and Hollywood," says exterior designer Kemal Curic. Its redesign challenged the Lincoln team to draw on heritage, to capture the elegance of the car – the signature grille, big hood, long flowing lines, low rear end – while appealing to the modern consumer.
It is "most seductive" with "beautiful eyes," Curic says. "You fall in love with the exterior. It's the first thing that gets you going."
In a highly competitive segment, think Lexus, Audi and Cadillac as chief targets, and a nicely established male as principal buyer – yet one, Lincoln hopes, with the aspirational cool of Matthew McConaughey.
"Quiet luxury," Curic says, repeating the corporate mantra at a dinner in Toronto last week, while emphasizing the contoured front-row seats with thigh support (for each leg), heat, cooling, massage and 30 electronically adjustable positions.
Cacophony in the house? Go outside, luxuriate in the driveway in the personal sanctuary. Crank up the Revel sound system and, Curic says, examine the subtle detail in the interior, from the wood grain to the stitching to feel of the leather.
"Like a gentleman's finest suit," Curic says.
The F-Pace is Jaguar's initial entry into the SUV segment, though the Land Rover side of the company owns a firmly established niche in the market. Designer Ian Callum pulled cues from the F-Type sports car, notably by filling the wheel wells with prominent Pirellis.
The exterior's shape looks rugged yet elegant, sportier in design with sleek lines from front to back than the more boxy Land Rover cousins. The interior is roomy, the layout clean with luxurious appointments.
"It's not a compromise – it's an answer," Callum says in an interview. "If you wanted more space in this car, just make it boxier – that's compromise. We didn't compromise anything. Ultimately, the compromise is, you have to put people in the car. Imagine designing a car without people in it – it would be so easy. I say that in the extreme."
Engineers and designers do a bit of a tango when developing from scratch or re-designing.
"It took three, four iterations to get there," Callum says. "Normally, it's two, maybe three. It's a process, a little mathematical at first. You have to find your way around to get to the right level, and that was the Jag. I wasn't going to be happy till we got there. It was the F-type, the sense of performance, the sense of speed."
He calls it a "family sports car" – seemingly a contradiction in terms – while promising Jaguar DNA throughout. "It's not just the Jaguar you want, it's the Jaguar you need," he says. "Even your kids will think it's cool."
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