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The Lincoln Motor Company is reinventing itself. After a generation of MK-thises and MK-thats who struggled to differentiate themselves from Ford High-Trim, we got the punch from Continental and redesigned Navigator. It's not just a return of proper nameplates, either. Instead, Lincoln finally has attractive luxury vehicles that do not just feel like high-end Fords.
Enter Nautilus 2019, Lincoln's new entry into the mid-size luxury SUV market. Lincoln says mid-sized SUVs account for about 27 percent of the brand's sales, which weighs heavily on the success of this replacement for the Edge-based MKX. The improvements must go beyond a new name and a renewed appearance; the new Nautilus must feel like a brand new vehicle.
New look, new attitude
The Nautilus uses a new exterior design that puts the look of the SUV in line with the Continental and Navigator. But a fun fact: Lincoln's representatives said the Nautilus was actually the pioneer behind the scenes of the brand's new design language, so more than just a facelift.
This is not a bad thing either. Standard LED front and rear lights give the SUV a premium feel, and responsive, direction-sensitive lighting enhances nighttime visibility. The lighting also plays an important role in what the automaker calls the "Lincoln Embrace", where the cabin light, exterior lights and Lincoln Star spills automatically turn on when the driver turns on. approaching the vehicle.
The look of the Nautilus still has a lot of MKX angular profile and you can still see its Ford Edge roots in the D pillar slope, but the details of this generation are much smoother and less present. In a world where vehicle design is too aggressive, it's nice to see the Nautilus sporting a chrome grille of reasonable size and taste. Of course, it's not quite daring, but I think the subtle look will age better than, say, the Lexus RX too sharp.
Improved cabin, familiar technology
My Nautilus test is a fully loaded Black Label model in Burgundy Velvet Metallic paint with the new Gala interior theme – which makes its debut on the 2019 SUV – with red and black leather trim and aluminum trim. The cabin is super quiet and has an amazing look with very comfortable heated and ventilated seats, which also feature a two zone massage. Details like the L-shaped lock pattern on these seats add a dramatic touch to the interior design.
The dashboard is inspired by the shape of the outgoing model with a sloping design that results in the return of Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system 8 inches, flanked by push-button transmission controls.
Antuan Goodwin / Roadshow
Sync is still good, with a solid organization and a very good onboard navigation with voice control and traffic data. The standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity offers customers alternatives, if they wish, and integrated integration with Amazon's Alexa service and applications like Waze and Tidal round off a solid software suite.
New for 2019: a combined 12-inch LCD digital instruments controlled by buttons on the steering wheel. Lincoln's technology allows for a small degree of customization, giving the driver the choice between displaying a tachometer, speedometer or eco-indicator and switching between sport and normal layouts. The instrument cluster can also display navigation prompts, audio source information, and controls for powertrain and suspension settings.
Co-Pilot 360 Driving Assistance Technology
The Nautilus introduces the Lincoln Co-Pilot 360, which essentially supports the manufacturer's various driver assistance technologies and transforms them into an easily digestible set with radar and camera sensors.
The suite includes blind spot monitoring, reverse traffic alert, automatic high beams, a rear camera, adaptive cruise control and pre-crash assistance with automatic emergency braking. Proximity sensors and a pedestrian detection system integrated into the low-speed security during parking were supplemented by an optional system of 360-degree cameras in the sample that I drove.
Lincoln paid particular attention to the steering assistance technology of this generation, improving its lane keeping system with a track centering function that plays a more active role in maintaining the SUV between the lines on the lane. highway. The builder is quick to point out that centering lanes is a practical technology that requires the driver to touch the wheel.
Optional upgrades include evasive ride assistance available, another new feature that debuts on Nautilus. This technology adds steering support to avoid collisions during emergency lane change maneuvers that only braking can prevent. Of course, Lincoln has discouraged me from testing the system on public roads.
Lincoln Motor Company
Two performance options
The new Nautilus comes standard with a new 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine under its hood, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. In this version, the SUV produces 250 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque – healthy numbers for a vehicle of this size that translates into decent road performance and fuel economy at 21 miles per gallon 23 combined.
Most of my time, however, was spent with the optional 2.7-liter V6 bi-turbocharged engine – a transfer of the latest generation MKX that offers an improvement in internal efficiency but the same 335 horsepower and 380 pounds of torque. This engine is also associated with an eight-speed auto, but with different gear ratios. By specifying the largest motorized steps, fuel consumption is reduced to 18 and 21 miles per gallon. However, the 27 mpg on the V6's highway is surprisingly better than the I4, probably because of its better low-end torque and its larger gear. I averaged 25.3 mpg, according to the on-board computer, during a moderate-speed test morning on the highway, which dropped to 19.8 mpg after an afternoon spent exploring performance limits. Of course, it will take me longer driving to experience real fuel economy.
On the road, the V6 offers a smooth and confident acceleration when requested, but especially has a very relaxed feel and very quiet operation. Shifting the gear or selecting the Sport mode does awaken it a bit, but the Nautilus' performance and maneuverability are very comfortable, even in the most sporty environments.
Antuan Goodwin / Roadshow
Speaking of manipulation, my model has an adaptive suspension with three selectable modes. The default Normal mode is probably the best setting for daily driving given Nautilus' comfort goals. In this context, the SUV absorbs shocks well while offering a surprisingly responsive direction. However, the lack of feeling and the abundance of roll and push dive were disconcerting in the faster turns.
The comfort setting is what I call the "pothole mode", perfect for slow driving on poorly maintained roads, but far too soft at speed for my taste. The sport mode offers the best responsiveness without much compromise in terms of driving quality, controlling a large part of the body movements and waking a little direction, which makes the Nautilus more confident in speed.
Differentiation by customer contact
In order to distinguish itself in the segment of luxury SUVs increasingly congested, the Nautilus experience accompanies all kinds of extravehicular benefits to attract buyers.
For example, the automaker offers its Lincoln concierge service that helps owners with restaurant recommendations, travel bookings and more. The pick-up and delivery of vehicles for the service prevents owners from wasting their time in the waiting rooms of the dealers. The automaker is also piloting a personal driver service – an alternative to Uber or Lyft that transports owners to the airport or looking for drinks using their own Lincoln car – and other subscription models in select markets.
The Nautilus also has six months of membership in the Clear program, which allows owners to quickly access airport security and some sports arenas. Black Label models the free subscription to a year.
Antuan Goodwin / Roadshow
Something old, again
The Nautilus will start at $ 41,335 (destination fee of $ 995 included) for the base model and will reach $ 57,890 for Black Label models. Near full loads, my examples of stickers at $ 66,635.
When it reaches the road this fall, the Nautilus will end up against the Cadillac XT5 and the Lexus RX. The Lincoln representatives said that they did not consider Acura RDX a competitor, but that I would throw the new 2019 model into the mix given its recent growth and its comparable prices.
Looking more closely, this "brand new" model is more like the sum of many small improvements; a refresh rather than a reinvention. From powertrain to interior technology and interior design, this still looks like an MKX with a new name. That's good, at the macro level, the Lincoln Nautilus 2019 is overall a better vehicle, more luxurious than the MKX that it replaces and a much better fit, both stylistically and in terms of content, with the current stability of Lincoln vehicles.
Editor's note: Roadshow accepts multi-day loans from builders to provide editorial reviews. All the criticisms of marked vehicles are completed on our territory and according to our conditions. However, for this feature, the manufacturer has covered travel expenses. It is common in the automotive industry because it is much cheaper to ship reporters in cars than to ship cars to reporters.
The judgments and opinions of the Roadshow editorial team are ours and we do not accept paid editorial content.
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