The Lincoln Motor Company’s heydays may be gone. The luxury division of the Ford Motor Company reached a peak of more than 131,000 sales in the United States in 2007. It has had drastically varying years since, with sales tumbling nearly 50 percent in lean years.
With consumers’ preferences increasingly favoring sport utility vehicles, Lincoln is now several years into its rebranding. It had everything to lose.
Luxury sedan icons like the Continental, Town Car and MKZ have been defunct for several years. Lincoln now sells only four vehicles, all sport utility vehicles — the Aviator, Corsair, Nautilus and Navigator.
Now in its second generation, the two-row, five-passenger Nautilus is positioned between the three-row, seven-passenger Aviator and the smaller entry-level Corsair. It’s also a two-row, five-passenger SUV.
The 2025 MotorTrend SUV of the Year, the Nautilus is available in Premiere, Reserve and Black Label trims. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 250 horsepower and is standard in all three options. All trims are matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Optional on all levels is a turbocharged, 2.0-liter hybrid. The $1,500 option pushes the horsepower on those trims to 310. The SUV advances with a continuously variable automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard with both powertrains.
Lincoln debuted the Nautilus as the new name for MKX in 2018 for the SUV’s 2019 model year. It was a big risk. The Audi Q5, BMW X3 and X5, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX50, Genesis GV80, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Lexus RX, Mercedes-GLC and GLE, Porsche Cayenne and Volvo XC90 are worthy competitors, some with long tenures in the marketplace.
Lincoln’s gamble worked. But how did the Nautilus warrant its praises? How did it find its market share in the mix of other newbies and legacy brands?
For starters, luxury is omnipresent. Massaging, heated and vented 24-way top-line front seats, active noise cancellation and a multi-configurable 48-inch screen are highlights. The active noise cancellation system, according to Lincoln, “utilizes a network of strategically placed microphones that continuously monitor the cabin for unwanted noise. The microphones feed real-time data to a digital signal processing unit, generating the precise anti-noise signals required to cancel out the detected sounds.”
Further, the windshield has an acoustic laminate as does the front door glass. The engine compartment is also insulated. The result: The Nautilus is library-quiet, a quality nearly instantly mentioned by several front-seat passengers.
The cargo space is long and wide. The area behind the rear seats measures 36.4 cubic feet, more than adequate for soccer equipment, a few golf bags or multiple suitcases. The seats also fold flat via a 60-40 split.
Interior serenity is complemented by the SUV’s smooth, steady ride. Road imperfections are absorbed. Acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour takes 7.2 seconds. But it feels faster, perhaps in part because the steering wheel is race car oriented; a smaller-than-traditional rounded square. Gas mileage averages are 21 miles per gallon in city driving, 29 mpg on the freeway.
Standard safety features include a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control and suspension, lane-keeping assist, a push start and a wireless charging pad. A four-year subscription to BlueCruise hands-free driving system is now standard on all trims.
All of the interior quality, performance and spaciousness are experienced with the not-always-the-case of the Nautilus’s ideally designed exterior. It’s an SUV void of ragged edges and a testosterone-loaded grille design. Instead, the SUV’s look is contoured with rounded styling. It’s elegant rather than aggressive.
Ford could have folded its luxury lineup. But its transition from luxury sedans, once the preference of movie stars and businessmen, to SUVS, is a success.
The reviewed Reserve III trim has an MSRP of $61,010. Its options and taxes push the total to $69,810. It’s money well spent among the lofty collection of other luxury SUVs.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, also contributes business, lifestyle and sports content to several print and online publications. E-mail: [email protected].
