Automotive Engineering - May 2024 - 18

ROAD READY
screens - Sun called them " glanceable " - are positioned closer
to the front passenger. Information presented here, like
what song is playing, may be interesting but is not critical to
the operation of the vehicle.
The platform
The third-generation Nautilus is based on a modified version of
the Ford C2 platform, which also underpins vehicles like the Ford
Escape and Maverick and the Lincoln Corsair. " The C2 platform is
used for a lot of vehicles, " David Bartholomew, Nautilus Vehicle
Engineering Chief, said, but pointed out that there are changes
from one model to another (see Table 1).
Bartholomew, who started his career with Ford in the U.K.,
" Lincoln Digital Scent " is based on a small cartridge (about two-thirds
the length of a pack of gum with similar width and depth) that has a solid
scent pod on the inside and perforations and a chip on the exterior. The
cartridges are inserted into a mechanism on the underside of the arm
rest. There is a fan that blows air onto the cartridge so that the scent is
released through perforations in the arm rest. The amount of scent is
controlled via the center touchscreen.
CORSAIR
LENGTH
WHEELBASE
WIDTH
TRACK
(front/rear)
Table 1
electronics and software for the vehicle, explained that the
position was chosen to allow the driver's eyes to always look
up and out without the need to glance down for operational
information or navigation.
The " Lincoln Digital Experience, " Sun said, is five times
more powerful than the existing SYNC 4 system used in other
Lincoln models. The new system is based on a Qualcomm
SA8155P SoC specifically engineered for infotainment and
instrument cluster applications.
Lincoln's system is Google-centric, with Google Assistant
the default voice application, Google Maps for navigation,
Google Play for apps, but it permits customers to use their
preferred software, such as Apple CarPlay, if desired.
The setup on the screen has the typical gauge information
directly in front of the driver with navigation information to its
right, well within the driver's field of view. Three other virtual
18 May 2024
NAUTILUS
181.4 in (4607 mm) 193.2 in (4907 mm)
106.7 in (2710 mm) 114.2 in (2901 mm)
76.2 in (1935 mm) 79.8 in (2027 mm)
62.6/63.4 in
(1590/1610 mm)
65.2/65.3 in
(1656/1659 mm)
moved to Australia and then to China, pointed out that this is
Lincoln's first global development program. This means there
was engineering in Dearborn and China; design by Kemal
Curic and his team in Irvine, California; and manufacturing at
the Changan Hangzhou Assembly Plant in China.
Thomas Kostrzewski, hybrid systems engineer, notes that
much of the development was done during COVID lockdowns,
which required extensive digital engineering by a team working
around the world.
Propulsion systems
In the previous-generation Nautilus, the step-up powertrain
was a twin-turbo, 2.7-L V6 with 335 hp (250 kW). For 2024,
the base engine is a 250-hp (186-kW) turbocharged 2.0-L I4
mated to an eight-speed automatic. The optional engine is a
310-hp (231-kW) turbocharged 2.0-L I4 with an eCVT. Yes, a
hybrid. This was not some sort of pivot that the company
made in reaction to the recent consumer indifference toward
battery-electric vehicles. It was in the plan all along.
The Nautilus hybrid system is similar to that used in the
current-generation Ford Escape, but given the changes and
improvements made for this execution, Kostrzewski said it
was really " Generation 4-1/2. " Lincoln chose to use an eCVT
rather than a P2 hybrid configuration, which has a standard
step-gear transmission and a hybrid module between it and
the engine, for efficiency's sake.
" What is elegant about an eCVT is that we have both an
electrical and mechanical path within the transmission, "
Kostrzewski said. " We can control the speed and load of the
engine independent of the wheel speed. With an eight-speed
P2 hybrid, the speed of the system is tied to the wheel speed
and whatever gear you're in. The eCVT allows the engine to be
at its most efficient speed. "
Notably, the Nautilus hybrid provides not only better fuel efficiency
than the non-hybrid - 30 mpg city/31 mpg highway/30
mpg combined for the hybrid and 21/29/24 mpg for the standard
2.0-L - but Kostrzewski pointed out that, compared with the previous-generation's
step-up powertrain option's fuel efficiency
numbers of 19/25/21 mpg, the Nautilus hybrid owner is not likely
to notice the 25-hp difference. Plus, the Nautilus hybrid was configured
to provide rapid torque response and limited latency.
Gary Vasilash
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
LINCOLN
Automotive Engineering - May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - May 2024
