Naut just a pretty face – The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is sophisticated and techie

Lincoln offers an extensive range of crossovers – seemingly one for every want/need.

I tested the mid-range Nautilus in Reserve trim. It carried a base price of $71,895 swollen to $81,845 after options and delivery charges, but before taxes. This puts it well into luxury car territory price-wise, a segment populated by a wide array of respected brands, both domestic and imported.

Thankfully the product planners equipped the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus with the requisite style, technology and features to withstand comparison. This is the third generation Nautilus. It shares the C2 platform also used for the Escape, Bronco Sport, and Maverick.

The Nautilus rolled off the Oakville, Ontario assembly line as the 2019 model, replacing the MKX. The 2^nd generation came in 2021. Assembly had been moved to Zhejiang, China as the Ontario plant was converted to produce electric vehicles.

This latest generation Nautilus has grown up.

The distance between front and rear wheels has grown by 51-mm. Virtually all of that has been allotted to more room for occupants resulting in best-in-class legroom at the cost of slightly less cargo space.

A hybrid version is now available and all trims come with all-wheel drive.

The exterior has been updated but it is inside where you see and smell the major changes. Yes, I said smell.

The tester came with the available digital scent feature. From the giant infotainment screen you can chose between Mystic Forest, Ozonic Azure or Violet Cashmere. Lincoln describes them as a Spa-inspired ‘earthy blend of cedarwood and patchouli, a cool Arctic-inspired fragrance’ and ‘… a crisp and floral smell’.

Aside from such frippery, the standout feature of the new Nautilus is the wall-to-wall screen that showcases Lincoln’s next-generation technology. A pair of 53-cm wide screens are combined to stretch from door to door.

It is divided into three distinct sections. The one in front of the driver provides instrumentation. The center one handles navigation and that in front of the passenger displays a variety of information including fuel economy, audio and even ambient weather conditions and forecasts.

A separate 24-cm touchscreen located atop the centre stack provides access to infotainment functions.

Other features of the redesigned interior are supple leather and adjustable ambient lighting. The 24-way power adjustable seats will be a boon to many but are not suited to those with a larger frame.

The new infotainment system is intuitive, fast to respond to inputs and the graphics incredibly crisp.

The new system utilizes a processor that has five times the power and 14 times more graphics processing capability than available previously. Controls include capacitive touchpads on either side the steering wheel. The right one for audio functions also works with Google Assistant or Alexa to look online for information, enter a destination or adjust temperature.

When the vehicle is parked you can play video games or search the web.

The pad on the left side of the wheel controls BlueCruise functions including limited hands-free driving on distinct sections of the highway.

Immersed in sound from the 28 speakers throughout the cabin of the Lincoln Nautilus

The test vehicle boasted truly impressive audio. The 28-speaker Revel system allocates 17 of them for front seat occupants. Talk about an immersive experience!

The Nautilus is powered – sufficiently, if not impressively – by a 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, it provides adequate acceleration and does so smoothly and quietly until pressed. At this point it becomes rather raucous. This combination does however provide decent fuel economy for such a relatively large vehicle.

If you desire more power and appreciate even better fuel economy, the Nautilus is available with a hybrid powertrain that provides 310 horsepower from the combination of a turbocharged engine and 100-kw electric motor.

In either case, the driver can play around with the available Drive Modes. The selection includes – normal, conserve, excite, slippery and deep conditions. Conserve mode softens throttle response in the search for improved fuel economy, at the cost of even less performance.

Slippery and Deep might prove useful in low-speed nasty winter conditions. I suspect 99.9% of drivers will never use anything other than normal. I preferred the excite mode with the sharper response to steering and throttle inputs and slightly stiffer suspension.

Kudos to the chassis engineers. The adaptive suspension system provides an excellent balance between ride and handling. Continuously monitoring chassis motion, it adjusts the shock absorbers in milliseconds. The result is very little body roll/motion, a smooth ride and decent handling for such a large and tall vehicle.

FACTS & FIGURES – 2024 Lincoln Nautilus AWD Reserve

PRICE

Base: $71,895

As tested: $81,845 including freight

SAFETY

Adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams, forward and rear park sensors, blind spot information with cross traffic alert, Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 2.2 Vision, pedestrian detection, evasive steering assist, lane keep system with blind spot system, post collision braking

STANDARD EQUIPMENT/FEATURES

360-degree camera, hands-free power tailgate with foot activation, power-adjusted folding, heated mirrors with signal lights, puddle lamps, and auto-dimming; panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control with digital scent, heated front/rear seats and steering wheel, ventilated front seats, power tilt & telescope steering wheel with memory,  premium leather seats, 24-way driver and passenger seats with lumbar support, satellite radio, dual zone automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, 19-in aluminum wheels

INFOTAINMENT

Wireless charging pad, 14-speaker Revel Ultima audio system, Google Maps navigation system

OPTIONS

Equipment Group 203A, $12,750; red carpet metallic paint, $950, jet appearance package, $3,750

MECHANICAL

Turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, 250-horsepower, 280-lb. ft. of torque, regular fuel, eight-speed automatic transmission, NRCan rating (litres/100 km city/highway) 11.2/8.1

DIMENSIONS

Length, 4,907 mm; width, 1,732 mm; wheelbase, 2,026 mm; weight, 1,976 kg

COMPETITION

Audi Q8, BMW X5, Cadillac XT5, Genesis GV80, Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC90