2020 Lincoln Nautilus 2.7L V6 8AT AWD (335 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lincoln continued its relentless efforts to conquer younger demographics and updated the mid-size luxury crossover Nautilus for the 2021 model year with significant improvements targeting tech-oriented customers.

Truth be told, the first generation of the Nautilus was actually a rebadged Lincoln MKX. The American luxury automaker introduced it in 2017 as a 2019 model year. It was slit between the Aviator and the Corsair and was based on the same platform as the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKZ sedan. However, thanks to its styling and rich interior features, combined with the reckoned smooth driving experience, this mid-size luxury crossover was propelled at over 20,000 units annually. Lincoln unveiled the refreshed version of the Nautilus’ first generation in late 2020 for the 2021 model year. While the exterior didn’t go through significant changes, the interior was completely overhauled. In addition, it came with further technological enhancements.

At the front, it took a keen eye for detail to spot differences between the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus and its pre-facelifted sibling. The massive metallic grille was even larger than on that model. However, it was still flanked by the same adaptive LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights at the bottom area. Furthermore, on the lower side of the bumper, the A-shaped center air intake was redesigned and was flanked by available fog lamps with four LED blocks each.

From its profile, there were no significant changes in the car’s look. The mid-size premium crossover was still available in the same number of colors, but three of them were new: Silver Radiance, Artisan Blue, and Flight Blue. However, different wheels were available, sized from the standard 18-inch ones to 21-inch sets. As a result, customers could get their 2021 Lincoln Nautilus with a full-black exterior interrupted only by the chromed trims surrounding the window line and the polished aluminum nameplates mounted on the front fenders. The automaker integrated a set of LED blinkers into the door mirrors. At the back, the mid-size luxury crossover had a slightly different red stripe on the raked-forward tailgate that visually connected taillights.

While the designers for the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus looked like they finished their job during the lunch break, those working on the interior had to burn the midnight oil. The dashboard was entirely new. Fronting the driver was an angular-shaped vizor over the instrument panel, where the automaker installed a standard 12.3-inch configurable color LCD across the range. In addition, the automaker placed a fresh 13.2-inch touchscreen in a free-floating position. While this design trend was not everybody’s cup of tea, the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity was highly appreciated. Furthermore, the buttons controlling the transmission migrated from the left side of the center stack, in a stacked layout, to the bottom of the infotainment unit’s screen in a horizontal row. There were also new options for trims and upholstery.

Under the hood, the mid-size luxury crossover came with a choice of two engines, carried over from the non-facelifted version. All but the Black Label grade were available with a turbocharged inline-four developing 250 hp (253 PS), five hp more than its predecessor. The other option was the same 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 unit. The former version had either a front or an all-wheel drive system, while the latter was only an AWD affair. Regardless of the powerhouse, the 2021 Nautilus had an eight-speed automatic transmission that sent power to the wheels.