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2019 Lincoln Nautilus replaces MKX crossover as new naming system takes hold

Goodbye, Lincoln MKX, hello Nautilus. And while you're at it, you can start saying goodbye to Lincoln's arcane alphanumeric nomenclature altogether. Lincoln unveiled the 2019 Nautilus midsize crossover in Los Angeles, taking the wraps (literally) off a ceramic gray version that had been hoisted to the rooftop penthouse of the Dream Hollywood hotel via crane ahead of its formal introduction Wednesday at the L.A. Auto Show. Latin for "sailor," the Nautilus joins the Continental and Navigator to establish a travel theme in the luxury brand's lineup. Robert Parker, global director of marketing, sales and service for Lincoln, said the significant changes made to the midsize SUV made this the right time to switch to a more traditional model name. "We'll do it with other products in the future, we're gonna do it one at a time," he said, without committing to a timetable. The company said nothing about renaming the recently refreshed 2019 MKC compact crossover, for example, nor the MKZ midsize sedan. Parker said the letter-based nomenclature was particularly challenging for customers in China, which has emerged as a key market in Lincoln's third year selling vehicles there. "There's an old adage that the name doesn't make the car, the car makes the name. So there's a degree of that that's played into this," Parker said. "This kind of connection that consumers have, especially with American brands and names, we felt like, is something that Lincoln could own, it's something we've owned in the past, and bringing those two back together, it does make it a bit more effortless for customers." The Nautilus gets its siblings' new signature grille and sidebody badging, welcome lighting from the undercarriage and cabin, and a choice of five new wheel options (out of six total) and three premium Black Label interior trim themes and other perks. It boasts an all-new front end, with everything redesigned from the A-pillar forward, plus a suite of driver-assist technologies like a lane-centering feature that pairs with adaptive cruise control; evasive steering assistance, which uses radar and cameras to lower the risk of rear-end collisions and can help the driver steer around the vehicle if needed; pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection; and active park assist. Inside, there's dark-stained wood trim on the console and minimal controls, with Lincoln opting to keep the cabin spacious, quiet and uncluttered. The rear seats offer best-in-class head and legroom.

2020 Lincoln Corsair gets a price, and there's a wide range

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair configurator is open for business, and that means we also know the luxury compact crossover's price. It starts at $36,940, including the $995 destination charge. If you try your hardest and tick every single box Lincoln lets you, it's possible to get the price above $60,000. We're not suggesting you do that like we did, but it's always interesting to know how high it can go. Read everything we know so far about the 2020 Lincoln Corsair The base price gets you a Corsair "Standard" that is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder making 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque sent to the front wheels. If you want all-wheel drive, Lincoln forces the selection of the "Standard I" equipment package, which ends up resulting in a $3,600 increase. That package consists of ambient lighting, a universal garage door opener, navigation and 18-inch wheels. One of the more expensive boxes you're likely to check on the entry-level trim is the Co-Pilot360 Plus Package for $3,050. That includes a bunch of driver assistance gear like adaptive cruise control, lane centering, sign recognition and evasive steering assist. A $2,500 Premium Package nets premium leather seats, a panoramic roof and 19-inch wheels. 2020 Lincoln Corsair View 12 Photos Of course, you can skip a lot of the option and package jumping by choosing the "Reserve" trim that begins at $43,625 with some premium stuff already included. This also unlocks the ability to get the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, which makes 280 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Selecting this forces the Reserve I package and all-wheel drive onto the table, which gives you a ton of equipment, but also increases the price by $6,740. This makes the cheapest Corsair with the most powerful engine start at $50,365. You can go crazy from there, tacking on the Reserve II Package for features like adaptive suspension, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera, wireless charging pad, digital gauge cluster and rain-sensing wipers. Like we said, this thing can get near or over $60,000 without much effort. The Corsair's base price compares favorably to other compact luxury crossovers like the $41,995 BMW X3 and $40,700 Mercedes-Benz GLC. However, adding in a desirable option like the higher-output engine brings the price up considerably.

2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid range, fuel economy revealed

The range-topping 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid luxury crossover finally has official fuel economy ratings. The electric range is 21 miles, and when the battery is exhausted, gas-only combined fuel economy is 23 mpg. The EPA's combined electric and gas test loop yielded 56 mpg-e. These numbers make the Aviator Grand Touring the most frugal version of the three-row luxury crossover, with the next most efficient one being the rear-drive non-hybrid model at 21 mpg combined. When going by gas-only fuel economy, though, the Aviator Grand Touring's non-plug-in cousin, the Ford Explorer Hybrid, returns up to 28 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive, and 25 mpg with all-wheel drive. It has much less power at 318 horsepower and 322 pound-feet of torque, compared to the Aviator Grand Touring's 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. The luxury plug-in hybrid crossover segment is quite small right now. The closest competitor to the Aviator Grand Touring is probably the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. It has a shorter electric range of 13 miles, and its gas-only fuel economy is a slightly worse at 22 mpg. The Porsche is less powerful with 455 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, and its base price of $82,450 exceeds the Lincoln's $69,895 price. The Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e splits the difference on efficiency with a worse 10-mile electric range, but a better gasoline fuel economy of 25 mpg combined. This could improve for 2020, as the updated model will have a larger battery. It's cheaper, too, at $51,645, but it's also a full size smaller than the Lincoln.