Lincoln keeps rolling with Nautilus
The successor to the MXK is a handsome and comfortable driver that should draw SUV buyers
Automakers like numbers and letters for their vehicle names; they’re simple and don’t need to be translated for sale in different markets.
But they’re also sterile, and even seasoned auto writers sometimes forget which combination denotes which model, so it’s refreshing to hear Lincoln plans to use real names on its models, starting with retiring the MKX in favour of the 2019 Nautilus.
It’s more of a makeover of the MKX than an all-new vehicle, and it will continue to be built exclusively at Ford’s plant in Oakville, Ont.
The platform is unchanged and the body carries over from the windshield back, but there’s new front-end styling, a new engine and transmission, some new interior touches, and some new safety and driving technologies.
The base 3.7-litre V-6 from the MKX is dropped in favour of a new turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder that makes 250 horsepower and 280 poundfeet of torque. That’s a drop from the 3.7’s 303 hp, but with a tick more torque, and with a combined published fuel-economy rating of 10.7 L/100 kilometres versus the outgoing engine’s thirstier 12.5.
Carried over is the MKX’s optional engine, a twin-turbo 2.7-L V-6 that makes 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. While the outgoing model used a six-speed automatic, both Nautilus engines hook to Lincoln’s first eight-speed automatic transmission.
All models use an allwheel-drive system that primarily runs the front wheels, but can send up to 100 per cent of power to the rear axle as needed for certain driving conditions.
Pricing starts at $50,450 for the Select trim, and $55,350 for the upper-line Reserve. The V-6 can only be optioned on the Reserve, adding $3,000 to the price.
The MKX’s “double-wing” grille never really worked for me, but the Nautilus’s mesh nose — now in line with the Navigator and Continental — looks fantastic. The body’s character line travels back to the cleanly styled rear end, with its horizontal lights and squared-off exhaust tips. This thing’s a looker.
It’s handsome enough inside as well, with a “waterfall” console that incorporates storage space in cubbies below, and a new programmable digital instrument cluster borrowed from the Navigator.
Its cabin upgrades are unique to the brand, but unlike the new Navigator’s shimmering Lincoln luxury, I find there are spots where the Nautilus doesn’t do quite enough to differentiate it from its Ford Edge sister model.
One of the most noticeable changes from the Edge is the transmission controller, a vertical line of buttons alongside the infotainment system.
It frees up space for more small-item storage, and it’s better than those infernal push-pull-hit-a-switch-for-Park electronic monstrosities. But compared to the simple click-click-click of a conventional shifter, this button version consistently requires you to double-check that you’ve hit the right one.
I started my drive with the smaller engine.
It’ll be the perfect choice for most drivers, with smooth acceleration and quiet performance.
The eight-speed automatic is equally competent, with shifts that are almost imperceptible.
The steering is responsive, if a little light on both weight and feedback.
Hitting the Sport mode tightens everything up, and I like that it can be dialed in individually.
I can “sportify” the steering without changing the transmission’s shift points, which I prefer.
Still, the 2.0-L engine got just a bit wheezy when I asked it for extra grunt while climbing some of Santa Barbara’s more imposing hills.
If your wallet can take the hit, moving up to the 2.7-L V-6 is a great pick for its extra strength, and it’s by far my favourite of the two.
With either engine, you get a quiet cabin that’s well isolated from road noise and bumps.
The adaptive suspension includes pothole mitigation, and while it can’t see the pit beforehand — there’s no camera scanning the road — it reacts in milliseconds if a tire drops down into one, adjusting the damping before it hits bottom.
The Select trim includes such features as blind-spot monitoring, auto-dimming mirrors, wireless charging, GPS navigation, LED headlamps, and heated 10-way power-adjustable seats.
The Reserve adds some standard items that are optional on the Select, including a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, Revel stereo system, heated second-row seats and 20-inch wheels.
But if you want to enjoy any highest-end add-on items — a rear entertainment system, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, 22-way power-adjustable seats, forward-collision mitigation or self-parking, among others — they can only be optioned on the Reserve.
With that trim, fully kitted with all packages, the Nautilus can hover around $66,000.
Although you still have to visit a dealership to buy one, Lincoln is rolling out a program in Canada where, when it needs service, someone will pick up your vehicle, leave you a loaner, and then bring yours back when it’s done.
The Nautilus is a handsome and comfortable driver.
If there’s any issue, it’s that it’s rather unremarkable in the white-hot luxury SUV market, where cutting-edge technologies and snappy features command attention.
Still, the MKX and smaller MKC combined supply half of Lincoln’s sales in Canada, and the Nautilus should keep that going. And made-in-Canada bragging rights are always a plus as well.