The 2019 Lincoln Nautilus gives Ford's luxury brand a mid-sized SUV it can compete with.

The next new vehicle from the Lincoln brand will be a mid-sized sport utility vehicle, the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus, which will reach showrooms next summer featuring the latest in driver-assistance technology as well as a new design.

With the introduction of Nautilus, Lincoln will round out a fresh and strong lineup of utility vehicles that meet the demands of affluent customers in both North America and Asia, noted Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra during a preview at the new Dream Hotel in Hollywood during the run up to the opening of the annual Los Angeles Auto Show.

“We’re excited to add Nautilus to our Lincoln family of luxury SUVs, along with a new name that better reflects the ideas and attitudes of our clients” said Galhotra, who noted the current version of a mid-sized SUV from Lincoln, the MKX, is on track to post its best sales since the pre-recession year of 2007.  

For the 2019 model, Lincoln’s stylists have reworked the design to include more luxury touches, five new sets of wheels as well as new colors. The Nautilus also comes with a bold new front grille that is distinctly Lincoln and emphasizes the all-new front end on the vehicle that reaches back to the A pillar and windshield.

(Lincoln upgrades and refreshes MKC for 2019. For the story, Click Here.)

One of the new features on the Nautilus is what Lincoln describes as “embrace lighting,” which illuminates the area around the vehicle at night to provide more safety and a welcome sign for drivers and passengers.

On the inside, new ultra comfort seats can be adjusted 22 different ways and also come with a lumbar massage feature to reduce fatigue on long commutes. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard and soft material is used throughout the in interior. A 13-speaker or a 19-speaker version of the Revel audio system will also be available on the 2019 Nautilus.

The new Nautilus interior also features a new console, instrument panel and push button gear shift that helps reduce the clutter inside the cabin. There is also a large center touch screen in the center stack that serves as the principal portal for Ford Motor Co.’s Sync 3 system as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter, 245-horsepower engine is standard on the Nautilus, but a 2.7-liter, 335-hp engine will also be available, Galhorta said.

The Nautilus will also be equipped with a suite of Lincoln-first driver assistance technology. “The technology in this vehicle is thoughtful and purposeful. We focused on bringing in innovative features to make each drive effortless for our customers,” Galhorta said.

(Click Here to see more about Lincoln possibly electrifying its line-up.)

The tech features include a lane-centering feature that pairs with adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality that can maintain the vehicle’s position in its lane using radar and cameras to analyze between other vehicles if when they are slower or even stationary.

The other feature include pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, blind spot information, active parking assistance, lane-departure warnings and lane keeping assistance as well as an auto-hold feature that relieves the driver of keeping a foot on the brake pedal in stop and go traffic.

Galhorta also emphasized the new Nautilus will be supported by Lincoln’s growing list of customer services.

Lincoln continues to expand its emphasis on service in an attempt to make vehicle ownership, as well as the purchase experience, “effortless,” Galhorta said. Lincoln is the only luxury brand offering pickup and delivery for vehicle servicing as standard for all of its vehicle, he noted.

Lincoln is also experimenting with other services such as sales calls at the homes of potential customers and at home test drives as well as short-term subscriptions where a motorist can lease a vehicle on a month to month basis.

(Management shake up at Ford continues; Galhotra takes over at Lincoln. To see more, Click Here.)

Staring Jan 1., new Lincoln owners also will receive a six-month complimentary membership in CLEAR, which helps users go through airport security without waiting in any kind of lines at many airports as well as a growing list of sports and concert venues. Lincoln Black Label members, who pay for additional services, will receive a 12-month complimentary membership.