2027 Lincoln Nautilus First Look: Subtle Tweaks for the Brand's Top Seller

Small updates for Lincoln's Nautilus prove that if it ain't broke, don't fix it

written by Tim Stevens
edited by Steven Ewing
8/13/2026
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What's new: A new nose and revised interior options highlight this minor refresh for the Nautilus.
Why it matters: With the Corsair gone, the Nautilus is now Lincoln's entry-level and best-selling model, priced around $55K, and poised to compete with the Lexus RX, Genesis GV80 and more.
Edmunds says: A fresh look on the outside and some new appointments on the inside add a little extra luxe to Lincoln's midsize SUV.

You've surely heard the adage about not fixing what isn't broken, and if there's a theme for the 2027 Lincoln Nautilus, that's it. This refreshed version of Lincoln's midsize SUV looks awfully familiar to the current model. But since the Nautilus is already Lincoln's best-selling SUV, why change?

Highlights include a new nose with updated lighting, an expanded exterior color palette, a suite of new interior schemes and materials, and a promise of future domestic production for this currently made-in-China SUV. Let's run through the details.

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A fresh first impression

Premiere, Reserve and Black Label trim levels remain, with the top edition receiving a simplified, more sophisticated grille up front. It's dominated by vertical polished slats around the illuminated badge that's inset right in the center. Other trims get a hexagonal pattern in the grille, a subtle differentiation to set the Black Label apart, but every flavor of Nautilus gets new, cleaner headlights and some slimmer taillights out back to match.

Opt for the new Jet Appearance package and that grille, plus some surrounding styling elements, get the glossy black treatment. Five wheel designs are available, ranging in size from 19 to 22 inches, and two new colors are available: Nocturnal Blue and Frosted Fig.

New interior appointments

For 2027, the Nautilus' tech experience stays much the same, including a 48-inch dashboard-spanning display. All Nautilus SUVs get four years of connectivity included and four years of BlueCruise 1.5, the latest flavor of Ford's hands-free driver assistance system. Buyers will have several new interior color schemes to choose from, each bearing an evocative name like Hot Chocolate, Afterglow and Eminent Fade, terms that pretty well describe my last skiing vacation.

If you're more concerned about what's going on under the hood, sorry to say there's not much to report there. The 2027 Nautilus will be available with the same two powertrains as last year. That means a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque by default. Or buyers can opt for a hybrid system that bumps total system output to 285 hp.

More of the same isn't a bad thing

So, while there's much more that stays the same than has changed, the current-generation Nautilus has only been on the market since 2024, meaning it's still reasonably fresh to begin with. These minor tweaks should see it through another few years and shore up its position as Lincoln's biggest seller and entry-level offering now that the Corsair has expired. We'll find out when it hits dealers — as well as how much it costs — in early 2027.

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by Tim Stevens

Tim Stevens is a freelance automotive and technology journalist with more than 25 years of experience. Tim is a correspondent for Edmunds and frequently contributes to major domestic and international online, print and broadcast news outlets including MotorTrend, TechCrunch, Wired, CBS and the AP, sharing his insights and perspectives on everything from cybersecurity to supercars. When not writing about or working on cars, he can often be found rebuilding pinball machines or getting lost in the woods.

edited by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

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