Newly Named Nautilus Deep-Sixes Lincoln MKX
CARS.COM
Competes with: Lexus RX 350, Cadillac XT5
Looks like: The current MKX got — surprise! — Lincoln’s new grille
Drivetrain: 245-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder or 335-hp, turbo 2.7-liter V-6, both with eight-speed automatic transmissions; front- or all-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Spring 2018
Ford’s efforts to return its Lincoln division to luxury relevance have brought some interesting differentiators — from valet service appointments for all models to complimentary dining for some. One more is nigh: real vehicle names, not the alphanumeric designations that plague most luxury brands. Witness the Nautilus, debuting at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, a mid-size SUV that will replace the MKX this spring.
Related: More 2017 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
Rather than a full redesign, the five-seat Nautilus is a refresh on the current-gen MKX, which was only a few years old. But its new name — alongside the Navigator and Continental — means half the Lincoln lineup is abbreviation-free. The other half will follow with what Lincoln confirmed to Cars.com would be a series of “journeying”-related names, likely in the adventurous spirit of Nautilus, an ostensible allusion to the fictional submarine piloted by Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
The Nautilus competes with mid-size luxury SUVs like the Lexus RX 350 and Cadillac XT5, though its pricing also overlaps smaller luxury players like the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 — SUVs with which Lincoln’s refreshed MKC might also compete.
Exterior
It took a keen eye to tell the MKC and MKX apart, but the MKC refresh — which appeared a week ago — brought a sliver of hope that Lincoln might differentiate the two SUVs a bit more. No such luck for the most part: The Nautilus trades the MKX’s split-vane grille for the brand’s new horizontal unit, which now graces everything but the MKT. It’s hard (again) to tell this apart from the MKC, but the bumpers show the difference: The MKC has three distinct openings, while the Nautilus has one big opening with a prominent ribbon of brightwork to separate the outboard portions.
The tail is thematically unchanged from that of the MKX, but the width-spanning taillights now have a lighter finish. Gone is the old MKX insignia, obviously, but “Nautilus” doesn’t replace it. Instead, Lincoln prints the new nameplate on a character-line decal below the side mirror.
Interior
The Nautilus gets a redesigned steering wheel with controls similar to those in the Continental, but other differences are slight. The dashboard’s waterfall design carries over, with a prominent center console that stretches down from a central touchscreen with Ford’s Sync 3 system.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, while a 12.3-inch virtual gauge display has configurable information. Options include two Revel premium audio systems, a panoramic moonroof, and heated and cooled seats with 22-way adjustments.
Under the Hood
Gone is last year’s standard V-6 — a 303-horsepower, 3.7-liter engine — replaced by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 245 hp. A turbo 2.7-liter V-6, which makes 335 hp, remains optional. Both engines now pair with eight-speed automatic transmissions instead of last year’s six-speed automatics. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is optional.
Safety
Available technologies include lane-centering steering, full-speed adaptive cruise control and an evasive steering assist system that can help the driver steer around an impending collision.
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