Lincoln unveiled a brand new crossover SUV on the Los Angeles Auto Present. It is not a very new car. It is actually an improved model of the Lincoln MKX. It has new engine choices, a brand new grill and many new know-how, together with a system that helps drivers steer out of a possible crash.
However essentially the most revolutionary factor it has is a reputation.
As an alternative of the being referred to as the Lincoln MKX, it is going to be referred to as the Lincoln Nautilus. That is a startling departure from each different luxurious automaker on the market.
You should buy a Mercedes-Benz S550 otherwise you would possibly get a Lexus LS 460 L. You can get the Genesis G80 from Hyundai’s new luxurious model or an Infiniti QX80 from Nissan’s. If you need a plug-in hybrid SUV you could possibly get a BMW X5 xDrive40e iPerformance.
However good luck discovering a luxurious car with a reputation that appears to have been created by an individual relatively than by a cat stepping on a keyboard.
Amongst luxurious carmakers, the rationale has at all times been the identical. They need hold the deal with the model identify, not on the person mannequin identify. That is why Cadillac not sells vehicles named Seville or DeVille however as a substitute sells the CT6 and XT5. It is also why Lincoln, over a decade in the past, modified the identify of the Lincoln Zephyr to the MKZ and why the Lincoln Aviator was changed by the MKX.
However Lincoln has saved, or introduced again, a few mannequin names in its line-up as a result of the actual names carried a lot weight. The Lincoln Navigator, a full-sized SUV, has at all times saved its identify. The name Continental, as soon as a separate ultra-luxury automobile model of its personal, was introduced again in 2015 to go on Lincoln’s new full-size luxurious sedan.
Expertise with these two names taught Lincoln executives a lesson, mentioned John Emmert, Lincoln’s advertising supervisor. Individuals really remembered the Lincoln identify higher when it was hooked up to Continental or Navigator than by itself. As an alternative of appearing as a distraction, the mannequin names introduced consideration and distinction to the general model.
Additionally, Lincoln has been making an attempt to set itself aside amongst luxurious manufacturers by making an attempt to not appear unapproachable and haughty. The phrase Lincoln executives use is “Heat, human and personally crafted.” The vehicles are understated in design with options that concentrate on rest relatively than efficiency or technological dazzle. Letters and numbers, he mentioned, do not convey the specified heat and humanity.
As for the identify Nautilus, you in all probability thought this SUV was named after a shell. Really, the identify is finally derived from the traditional Greek phrase nautes, which means “sailor,” as in nautical or astronaut. Like Navigator and Continental, it brings to thoughts a terrific journey, Emmert mentioned. That’s what Lincoln is making an attempt to convey with this identify and with these it is going to give its different fashions.
Moreover a brand new look, with a grill that resembles these on the Continental and Navigator, the Nautilus may have two engine choices, a V6 and a four-cylinder, each turbocharged. Its know-how options embrace an “evasive steer help” which, within the occasion you possibly can’t brake in time to keep away from rear-ending somebody, will allow you to information the automobile across the different car.
The Nautilus can be out there within the spring at costs anticipated to be near that of the MKX, which begins at round $38,000.
CNNMoney (New York) First printed November 28, 2017: 10:02 PM ET
