Lincoln’s popular midsize Nautilus luxury SUV will take a major step up in interior luxury and tech when a new Chinese-built model arrives in early 2024.
The five-passenger 2024 Nautilus rides on a new platform and boasts a two new engines, changes that should deliver a quiet, comfortable ride when it’s available for road tests.
The interior upgrades and innovations were immediately apparent in a recent static demonstration near Ford Motor Co.’s tech hub in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood.
Lincoln will announce prices closer to when the new Nautilus arrives, but the 2023 model runs from about $45,000 to $68,000.
Door-to-door screens
A huge 48-inch array of high-def screens sweeps literally from door to door across the dash, with configurable displays controlled by an 11.1-inch touch screen mounted in the center stack. Lincoln says it’s the biggest display in the Nautilus’ segment.
The display overwhelms other welcome interior touches on first glance, but accent lights glowing from behind the door panels — even in the rear seat, frequently site of cost-cutting scrimps — contribute to a rich and welcoming package.
Other noteworthy interior features include:
- “Redwood,” a new interior theme for Lincoln’s popular Black Label premium package.
- Three tailored scents that can be dispersed through the cabin at a touch.
- Lincoln’s signature 24-way “perfect position” massaging front seats.
- 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D audio.
The center console contains three scent cartridges controlled from the touch screen. The feature is available as a standalone option or part of the Rejuvenate package, which combines them with relaxing colors, images and sounds when the Nautilus is stationary.
The Nautilus’s signature scents are:
- Mystic Forest: “An earthy blend with woody, rich notes of patchouli”
- Ozonic Azure: “A crisp blend of aromatic patchouli and traces of bright violet”
- Violet Cashmere: “Exotic white florals and trusted violet that are crisp and refined as fresh linen”
Combined with Lincoln’s usual fine materials and execution, the features could make the new Nautilus a leader in its class for interior look, feel and function. The Nautilus’s competitors include the Lexus RX, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX50 and Acura MDX.
Key exterior design elements
- Quiet Flight 2.0 design language.
- Soft-touch door handles built into vehicle’s beltline, along bottom of windows.
- Horizontal LED lightbar across grille to emphasize vehicle width.
- Rising ‘winglets’ at outboard tips of narrow LED head lights.
- Falling winglets’ at outboard tips of LED tail lights.
- 3D Lincoln name integrated into tail lights across tail gate.
Ford hearts Apple CarPlay
Keenly aware of the mess GM stepped into when news leaked that its future vehicles would not offer Apple’s CarPlay interface for smartphones, Ford execs gleefully promise the Nautilus and all their upcoming vehicles will be compatible with the popular feature.
The vehicle will also have Google’s built-in digital assistant, maps and music service. In full-on electronic a la carte mode, the Alexa digital assistant is also built in and can control vehicle functions and smart devices.
Wireless CarPlay, Android Auto and charging will all be standard.
The Nautilus will have a modem for 5G over the air updates to fix electronic glitches and add features.
More:‘A huge blunder’: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash
Hands-free driving, new engines, but no PHEV
A 2.0L turbocharged engine produces 250 hp and 275 pound feet of torque in base models. It’s linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A hybrid features a different 2L engine linked to electric motors for a total of 310 horsepower. The hybrid also has a continuously variable automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard.
Lincoln will not offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Nautilus.
Fuel economy estimates will be available closer to when sales begin.
The Nautilus will also offer an adaptive suspension and five drive modes: Normal, Conserve, Excite, Slippery and Deep Conditions.
The latest version of Ford’s hands-free highway driving system will be available. Previously known as ActiveGlide in Lincolns, the system has adopted the corporate BlueCruise name. Updates since it launched in 2022 include better lane centering and hands-free lane changes and passing. BlueCruise works at up to 80 mph.
Features of Blue Cruise 1.2
- Hands-free highway driving
- Hands-free lane change and passing
- Improved lane centering
- Automatic repositioning for space when next to semi-trucks
It had been widely expected Lincoln’s North American dealers would do without a vehicle in the Nautilus’s class while the Oakville, Ontario, plant that builds the current model converted to produce electric vehicles. Lincoln’s popularity in China made the 2024 possible. It will be built in Changan, Hangzhou.
The Nautilus will also be shown at the Shanghai auto show in China this week.
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.