The Lincoln Nautilus Is the Quintessential American SUV—It Just Happens to Be Made in China

The Nautilus is the brand’s best-selling model in the U.S.—and it’s easy to see why.

BY GARY GASTELU, FREELANCE WRITER

Illustration: Inc.; Photos: Courtesy Lincoln

Lincoln has a genuine hit on its hands. The Nautilus is the brand’s best-selling model in the U.S.—and it’s easy to see why. The two-row midsize SUV is spacious, lavishly appointed, and loaded with technology that would look at home in a car costing twice as much. That’s no surprise. Car buyers love those features in China, where it is made and also sold.

It was a good plan when it was hatched for the 2024 launch. Ford’s luxury division could tap into low-cost Chinese manufacturing, serve both the American and Chinese markets from a single plant, and keep prices competitive in an increasingly crowded luxury SUV segment. In the current trade environment, things aren’t so rosy, but Lincoln is staying the course … for now.

The Nautilus starts around $55,000 with a 250 hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine and $60,000 with a 310 hp hybrid powertrain that’s good for 30 mpg. Add enough options and an $85,000 price tag is within reach. Lincoln calls its current design philosophy “quiet flight,” and the Nautilus delivers on that promise. The ride on its computer-controlled suspension is silky smooth and noise is mostly a rumor. It does the Lincoln badge proud.

Inside, the showstopper is a 48-inch display that runs the full width of the dashboard. It’s part instrument cluster, part navigation screen, part information center. You control everything through a smaller touchscreen on the center console, and the system supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and even an internet browser for when you’re parked. The steering wheel has a flat top and bottom, which isn’t ideal, but helps you see the screen. It’s all very unusual, but easy to get used to and perhaps even better than a conventional layout once you do. A giant volume knob on the center console provides a tactile connection.

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Higher trims add 24-way adjustable “Perfect Position” front seats with separate thigh adjusters, heating, ventilation, and massage. There’s also a Digital Scents fragrance system that releases aromas into the cabin via replaceable cartridges. Lincoln’s new Rejuvenate feature goes further still, combining reclining seats, guided breathing exercises, calming visuals, and new age sounds played through the Revel audio system into a five- or 10-minute meditation session that you can run while parked. Just remember to do it outside, because you have to leave the car running to use it.

When the front seats are upright, rear legroom feels as generous as an old Lincoln Town Car’s, and the nicely sculpted seats are superb. The large cargo area behind them makes the Town Car’s trunk look like a bread box.

The Nautilus comes standard with four years of the Lincoln’s Blue Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, which allows hands-free highway driving across more than 130,000 miles of roads in North America. It can change lanes automatically and monitors driver attention through a cabin-facing camera. If you look away for more than about eight seconds, it alerts you back to pay attention before it makes you take back control.

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