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The 2.7-liter does see an uptick in fuel economy, with the EPA now predicting 18 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive (an increase of 2 mpg on the highway) and 18/25 with four driven wheels (each a 1-mpg increase). It's still far afield of the six-cylinder BMW X3 M40i, however, which is the segment hot rod, zooming to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 107 mph. The Nautilus also outruns its crosstown rival, the Cadillac XT5 (6.6 seconds to 60 mph, 15.2 in the quarter-mile at 93 mph). Both feats put it well ahead of what was undoubtedly its bogey car, the Lexus RX350, which needed 7.4 seconds to get to 60 mph and completed the quarter-mile in 15.6 seconds at 90 mph. In our testing, the 2.7-liter in combination with all-wheel drive hustled the Nautilus to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds at 97 mph. This engine is strong although not particularly characterful-it's a mostly silent runner capable of serious shove when asked. It, too, now pairs with an eight-speed automatic, and it's a happy combination.

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The upgrade engine is a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6, which spins out a hearty 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft it adds $2070 to the bottom line and is available on all but the base models. Over the course of its testing, our heavy feet averaged just 17 mpg-2 mpg less than we managed with the V-6 model. The Lincoln still can't quite equal the Volvo XC60 T5 or the Audi Q5 in this department, however. With all-wheel drive, the 2.0T's estimates are 20 mpg city and 25 highway, up from 16/23 mpg with the V-6. The EPA's fuel-economy estimates for the four-cylinder Nautilus climb by 4 mpg in the city to 21 mpg (with front-wheel drive) the highway rating remains 25 mpg. Paired together, the standard powertrain will get an all-wheel-drive Nautilus to 60 mph in a reasonable 6.8 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 92 mph. The turbo four's throttle response is linear, the gearbox is perfectly willing to downshift, and the engine is barely audible in most circumstances. Despite the horsepower reduction, the powertrain proves to be perfectly adequate and well mannered.

The saving grace, however, is probably the new eight-speed automatic transmission, which offers a wider ratio spread than the previous six-speed.

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Horsepower drops from 303 to 250, but torque nudges up from 278 lb-ft to 280, with the full complement arriving at 3000 rather than 4000 rpm. The previous base engine, a 3.7-liter V-6, has been broomed in favor of a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. The substantive changes are chiefly under the hood.

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Michael Simari | Car and Driver Changes under the Hood

Lincoln crossover