Lincoln’s Mid-Size SUV the Nautilus Black Label Edition for 2019
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Lincoln Motor Company provided us with a 2019 Black Label Nautilus in Burgundy Velvet Metallic for a trip to New York State and the opening of the new TWA Hotel at JFK airport. This mid-sized SUV featured Gala trim, with deep colors and rich textures, inspired by the high fashion of New York’s Metropolitan Gala. This Gala theme features elegant Carmine and Onyx leather deeply hued seats, complemented by the luster of Nouveau Armor aluminum accents.
This mid-sized SUV has a base price of $59,390 adding on $7245 in options came to a final sticker price of $67,630, including the $995 delivery charge.
While the Nautilus is not a new design, it has been updated from the last iteration when it was called the MKX. It fits neatly in a very competitive market segment, and being a Lincoln, has a lot to offer buyers in standard features, both luxury and safety features. Being a Lincoln Black Label Edition means that it is only available from select Lincoln dealers and carries a host of Black Label benefits.
Our 2019 model came with the Onyx Venetian Leather interior, and we very much enjoyed the 22-way power driver seat a $1500 option, standard heated and ventilated front seats, as it was May, we did not try the heated rear seats. With Inside Ambient lighting, a real treat at night, and Dual zone electronic climate control which made for a comfortable interior experience. The available concealed wireless charging pad for compatible smartphones eliminates the hassle of tangled cords is something that is becoming more common, and we like that, though our Samsung smartphone in an Otterbox case did get hot and stopped charging, out of the case it did much better. Having the Panorama vista roof was almost as good as having a convertible.
Safety Lincoln’s Job One
The Nautilus has plenty of standard safety features as well as optional on the various trim levels of the Nautilus. While these are becoming more common today, they do enhance the overall driving experience, as not everyone on the road is paying attention to driving.
- Blind spot detection
- pedestrian detection
- Auto Emergency Braking
- Pre-collision Assist
- Lincoln’s Copilot 360
- Blind Spot Information System
- Rearview Camera with a wash function
- Auto High Beams
- Pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection
- Adaptative Cruise Control with Stop and Go Technology
- Evasive Steering Assist
Nautilus’s Tech Package includes the 360-degree camera, and the active parking assist as well as front park aid sensors are $1720. Driver Assistance option for $1590, includes Lane Keeping system Active cruise control with traffic jam assist and adaptive steering.
Turbo Powered Engine
Powered by a 2.7 GTDI V6 engine (a $2070 option) and an 8-speed select shift automatic transmission that gave us the stated fuel economy of 21 overall 19 city and 26 highway. Our experience was that it provided plenty of power delivered through the advanced technology of turbocharging, direct injection, and twin independent variable camshaft timing. All of which made our mix of urban and highway driving comfortable and worry-free.
Technology, More Important Than Ever
Today’s vehicles rely on a lot of technology, cameras, radar, and more to enhance the driver’s capability. Lincoln Co-Pilot360 is much like it sounds; you have a Co-Pilot with you watching your blind spots, alerting you to vehicles and pedestrians as well as things that the driver may miss.
Pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking is surprising that first time it engages when you are not aware it will. And thankfully it does, as it has a faster reaction time than you might have, helping to prevent an accident. Evasive steer assist is now available on the Nautilus, providing drivers with steering support to help avoid collisions that might happen as you come upon a slow-moving or stopped vehicle if it can’t be mitigated by braking alone.
We experimented with the optional lane-centering technology, which detects lane markings on the road to help keep the vehicle centered. Finding it as good as the road markings that it is monitoring, if the white line on the right follows over to a turn lane, the car can steer to the right when you want to stay in the travel lane.
Adaptive cruise control with stop and go allows drivers to set a desired speed and distance between themselves and the vehicle ahead and is a valuable item on today’s crowded highways.
Drivers Will Appreciate All The Nautilus Has To Offer.
The large center touch screen serves as a portal to standard SYNC® 3 with both Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ compatibility, enabling management of audio, phone, and navigation. Steering wheel-mounted controls are also available for some functions helping keep eyes on the road.
As the weather turns colder drivers will appreciate the heated side view mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer. When day turns into night having the full LED lighting and headlamps with adaptive LED, Lincoln signature lighting makes a difference.
Ford is making all of their new cars connected, and this Nautilus came with the standard embedded Lincoln Connect 4G modem with Wi-Fi hotspot capability. While we think of this as for our own personal use, it makes the vehicle prepared for the world of autonomous mobility allowing for the vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communication. While self-driving cars are a way off, the technology that it brings to us today adds a layer of safety on today’s roadways.
Warranty
This vehicle comes with a solid 4-year 50K mile warranty and six-year 70K power train Warranty. Being a Black Label model, only sold by those Lincoln dealers that are qualified to offer Black Label models, the convenience of having the vehicle pick up when it needs service and having four years of premium maintenance included is just one more reason to purchase or lease a Lincoln.
Overall
You may not have considered a Lincoln as you search for upscale vehicles; this is an excellent time to think about one of America’s premier luxury brands. Lincoln has quietly stepped ahead of its competitors, and as consumers experience the brand, they will be pleasantly surprised about what they get for their dollar. Stop by a Lincoln dealer and look at what the brand has to offer.
Words and Images by William West Hopper
Mr. Hopper is a life-long automotive enthusiast who has lead enthusiast organizations like the Mercedes-Benz Club of America and the Segway Enthusiast Group of America. He currently serves as the President of the Washington Automotive Press Association in Washington DC. He can be reached on Twitter and Instagram.
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