The Lincoln Nautilus has come a long way since it first set sail in 2019 as a rechristening of the MKX midsize Ford Edge-based crossover.  The name change did bring some updates with it, but 2021 sees even bigger changes.  

Most impressive is the interior redo; an enhanced version of their sanctuary theme. Gone is the rising console/center stack combo; replaced by a thinned-out console and more horizontal dash design, with a large 13.2-inch dash-top infotainment screen, on which SYNC 4 makes its debut.  

Jessica Ray: “When we tested the Nautilus back in 2019, we noticed that the interior was lacking compared to its competitors and it looks like Lincoln is addressing that in this refresh. The interior now takes its cues from what we’ve seen in its Lincoln SUV siblings, with a much more simple and streamlined center console and infotainment center. And of course, that means better functionality.”

Familiar powertrain choices from the Ford lineup; your choice of 250-horsepower I4 turbo, or 335-horsepower twin-turbo V6; though Lincoln drops the EcoBoost name, perhaps there’s no ecoboosting in a sanctuary.  

Brian Robinson: “You’ve got to love Ford’s turbo engines; both options here deliver plenty of power for most people’s SUV needs; and no matter which one you choose, you get a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission.  And with the update, they got rid of the goofy push button gear selectors; now it has the Navigator’s toggle switches.  Still not great, but a big improvement.”

The exterior design sticks with what we’ve seen from Lincoln and even on this Nautilus recently, with only some modest tweaking of the front fascia.  

The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus is slated to arrive in dealers early next year.