Lincoln’s rebrand a success, Nautilus a luxury SUV star

The Lincoln Motor Company s heydays may be gone The luxury division of the Ford Motor Company reached a peak of more than sales in the United States in It has had drastically varying years since with sales tumbling nearly percent in lean years With consumers preferences increasingly favoring sport utility vehicles Lincoln is now several years into its rebranding It had everything to lose Luxury sedan icons like the Continental Town Car and MKZ have been defunct for several years Lincoln now sells only four vehicles all sport utility vehicles the Aviator Corsair Nautilus and Navigator Now in its second generation the two-row five-passenger Nautilus is positioned between the three-row seven-passenger Aviator and the smaller entry-level Corsair It s also a two-row five-passenger SUV The MotorTrend SUV of the Year the Nautilus is available in Premiere Reserve and Black Label trims A turbocharged -liter four-cylinder with horsepower and is standard in all three options All trims are matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission Optional on all levels is a turbocharged -liter hybrid The option pushes the horsepower on those trims to The SUV advances with a continuously variable automatic transmission All-wheel drive is standard with both powertrains Lincoln debuted the Nautilus as the new name for MKX in for the SUV s model year It was a big peril The Audi Q BMW X and X Cadillac XT Infiniti QX Genesis GV Land Rover Range Rover Sport Lexus RX Mercedes-GLC and GLE Porsche Cayenne and Volvo XC are worthy competitors particular with long tenures in the marketplace Lincoln s gamble worked But how did the Nautilus warrant its praises How did it find its arena share in the mix of other newbies and legacy brands For starters luxury is omnipresent Massaging heated and vented -way top-line front seats proceeding noise cancellation and a multi-configurable -inch screen are highlights The current noise cancellation system according to Lincoln utilizes a grid of strategically placed microphones that continuously monitor the cabin for unwanted noise The microphones feed real-time content to a digital signal processing unit generating the precise anti-noise signals required to cancel out the detected sounds Further the windshield has an acoustic laminate as does the front door glass The engine compartment is also insulated The product The Nautilus is library-quiet a quality nearly instantly mentioned by several front-seat passengers The cargo space is long and wide The area behind the rear seats measures cubic feet more than adequate for soccer equipment a meager golf bags or multiple suitcases The seats also fold flat via a - split Interior serenity is complemented by the SUV s smooth steady ride Road imperfections are absorbed Acceleration from to miles per hour takes seconds But it feels faster perhaps in part because the steering wheel is race car oriented a smaller-than-traditional rounded square Gas mileage averages are miles per gallon in city driving mpg on the freeway Standard safety features include a -degree camera adaptive cruise control and suspension lane-keeping assist a push start and a wireless charging pad A four-year subscription to BlueCruise hands-free driving system is now standard on all trims All of the interior quality performance and spaciousness are experienced with the not-always-the-case of the Nautilus s ideally designed exterior It s an SUV void of ragged edges and a testosterone-loaded grille design Instead the SUV s look is contoured with rounded styling It s elegant rather than aggressive Ford could have folded its luxury lineup But its transition from luxury sedans once the preference of movie stars and businessmen to SUVS is a success The reviewed Reserve III trim has an MSRP of Its options and taxes push the total to It s money well spent among the lofty collection of other luxury SUVs James Raia a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento also contributes business lifestyle and sports content to several print and online publications E-mail james jamesraia com