2021 Lincoln Nautilus: Features and Updates

The Lincoln Nautilus entered the 2019 model year with reworked exterior styling that aligned its looks with those of the Lincoln Navigator, which the brand redesigned for 2018. Its interior design, however, did not follow the template of its full-size stablemate, maintaining an older format. This changes for 2021, as the updated Nautilus features a reworked dash and center console that incorporates design cues from Lincoln’s other crossovers and SUVs.

In Sync With the Times

More importantly, the 2021 Nautilus welcomes Ford Motor Company’s latest infotainment system, Sync 4, into its dashboard. This system works with a massive 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment display, marking its arrival in the Nautilus after earlier reveals in Ford-badged products such as the 2021 F-150, 2021 Mustang Mach-E, and 2021 Edge. The new infotainment system offers features such as a more natural voice recognition system, available over-the-air updates, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

In order to differentiate its Sync 4 infotainment experience from Ford’s, Lincoln relies on a horizontally mounted display, rather than a tall, vertically mounted one. This setup inherently keeps more information higher up and closer to the driver’s line of sight, facilitating a more user-friendly experience. Moreover, the screen’s position complements the horizontal lines of the Lincoln’s dashboard design. Additional Lincoln-specific Sync 4 features include a “Constellation” theme that features varying blue and orange hues designed to mimic the horizon and galaxy.

Same As It Ever Was (Under the Hood)

Mechanically, the 2021 Nautilus largely mirrors last year’s model. Power once again comes courtesy of a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 250 hp or an available twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 that produces 335 hp. Both engines are mated to eight-speed automatic transmissions; however, the four-cylinder defaults to sending its power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive, which comes standard with the V-6, is an optional extra on four-cylinder models.

Despite a small increase in curb weight (21 pounds for front-drive four-cylinder models and 16 pounds for all-wheel-drive V-6 ones), we expect the 2021 Nautilus to deliver much the same driving experience as before. In other words, you can expect the most powerful model to manage a similar 6.0-second sprint to 60 mph as achieved in an all-wheel-drive 2019 Nautilus equipped with the V-6 engine.

Consequently, we anticipate that the starting price of the 2021 Nautilus will remain close to that of the 2020 model’s entry fee of approximately $42,035. The 2021 Nautilus is expected to go on sale early next year.