View Photos of the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus
The cabin of Lincoln's mid-size Nautilus crossover sees significant enhancements for the 2021 model year.
The Lincoln Nautilus has been undergoing a slow, steady evolution since it debuted as the MKX in 2018. It now shares the same front-end styling as its Lincoln stablemates, the Navigator, Aviator, and Corsair. As with those three SUVs, the latest Nautilus emphasizes luxury appointments over driving involvement, yet it gains a significant update to its interior for the 2021 model year.
The Nautilus rides on the same basic underpinnings as the Ford Edge SUV, but you'd never know it by the elegant, muscular sheetmetal that is all its own.
Nautilus lineup consists of three models: standard, Reserve, and top-spec Black Label. Buyers can choose between a 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four or a 335-hp twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6. Both engines mate to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is an option.
For 2021, the Nautilus receives a thorough interior update consisting of a new instrument panel topped by a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, a slick piano-key-like shifter arrangement, and a new center console.
The huge new touchscreen houses the company's latest version of its Sync 4 infotainment system. The user interface is as easy to operate as the one on your smartphone and includes features ranging from cloud-based connectivity to over-the-air software updates.
The Sync 4 system's digital assistant is ready to answer your questions. You can program it to wake up when you say, "Hey, Lincoln!" It responds in a friendly, non-threatening voice, no matter how difficult your request.
The Nautilus is the tweener in Lincoln's SUV-only lineup, splitting the distance between the compact Corsair and the mid-size, three-row Aviator.
The mid-level V-6 Reserve model we drove preferred to loaf rather than lunge. Its soft suspension and adaptive dampers—the latter standard on V-6 models—enable it to step softly over large bumps. This setup is not happy being pushed hard in corners, however.
In daily driving, the optional twin-turbo V-6 propels the Nautilus effortlessly. A mechanically identical 2019 model we tested turned in a 60-mph sprint of 5.8 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 14.3 seconds.
As with its luxury-SUV competition, the Nautilus has a full portfolio of active-safety tech to offer, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, lane-keeping assist, parking assist, a 360-degree camera system, and more.
If it's luxury features you crave, the Nautilus will make you feel well taken care of. You can luxuriate in optional heated-and-ventilated front seats with massage while listening to the optional 19-speaker Revel Ultima audio system. Adjust the ambient lighting color to suit your mood and gaze up through a panoramic glass roof to take in the night sky.
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
2021 Lincoln Nautilus
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