The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, a stylish and sophisticated SUV, has garnered attention not only for its luxurious features but also for its safety performance. As a content creator for cardiagnosticnearme.com and an automotive repair expert, I’ve delved into the safety ratings of the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus to provide you with a comprehensive overview. This article aims to present a detailed analysis of the crash test results and safety evaluations for the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, ensuring you have all the necessary information.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Small Overlap Frontal Crash Test – Driver Side
The small overlap frontal test simulates a collision where only a small portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts a barrier. This is a particularly challenging test, and the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, sharing its structural underpinnings with the Lincoln MKX (models 2019-2023), performed admirably.
In the driver-side small overlap front test, the Lincoln Nautilus achieved a Good rating, the highest possible. Key evaluation criteria and their ratings include:
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Chest: Good
- Hip/thigh: Good
- Lower leg/foot: Good
- Driver restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
These results indicate that the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus provides excellent protection in this type of severe frontal crash for the driver. The structural integrity of the vehicle held up well, and the restraint systems effectively protected the driver dummy from significant injuries.
The technical measurements from the driver-side test further illustrate the vehicle’s robust performance:
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 9 |
| Footrest (cm) | 4 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 4 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 5 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 4 |
| Steering column | 2 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 8 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 5 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 6 |
Driver injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| HIC-15 | 69 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 10 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 26 |
| Femur Left (kN) | 0.8 |
| Femur Right (kN) | 0.6 |
| Knee displacement Left (mm) | 2 |
| Knee displacement Right (mm) | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk Left (%) | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk Right (%) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index Left | 0.40 |
| Maximum tibia index Right | 0.37 |
| Tibia axial force Left (kN) | 1.4 |
| Tibia axial force Right (kN) | 0.8 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 29 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 28 |
These measurements confirm the visual assessment: the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus maintained a good survival space for the driver, and the risk of injuries was low across all body regions.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Small Overlap Frontal Crash Test – Passenger Side
The passenger-side small overlap test is equally important for overall occupant safety. For the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, the passenger-side rating is also Good. This rating applies to 2019-23 models, reinforcing the consistent safety performance across these model years.
The passenger-side evaluation mirrors the driver-side results with Good ratings across all categories:
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Passenger injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Chest: Good
- Hip/thigh: Good
- Lower leg/foot: Good
- Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
- Driver injury measures: (Evaluated in passenger-side test)
- Head/neck: Good
- Chest: Good
- Hip/thigh: Good
- Lower leg/foot: Good
- Driver restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
The technical data for the passenger-side test further supports the “Good” rating:
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 9 |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 4 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 2 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 2 |
| Center dash (cm) | 4 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 7 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 5 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 7 |
Passenger injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| HIC-15 | 110 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 13 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.19 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 25 |
| Femur Left (kN) | 0.1 |
| Femur Right (kN) | 0.5 |
| Knee displacement Left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement Right (mm) | 2 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk Left (%) | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk Right (%) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index Left | 0.36 |
| Maximum tibia index Right | 0.27 |
| Tibia axial force Left (kN) | 0.8 |
| Tibia axial force Right (kN) | 0.8 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 19 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 28 |
Driver injury measures (passenger side test):
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| HIC-15 | 32 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.8 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 9 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.16 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 21 |
| Femur Left (kN) | 0.5 |
| Femur Right (kN) | 0.4 |
| Knee displacement Left (mm) | 1 |
| Knee displacement Right (mm) | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk Left (%) | 1 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk Right (%) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index Left | 0.31 |
| Maximum tibia index Right | 0.32 |
| Tibia axial force Left (kN) | 0.7 |
| Tibia axial force Right (kN) | 0.9 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 31 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 52 |
These comprehensive results underscore the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus’s commitment to passenger safety in challenging frontal collision scenarios.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Moderate Overlap Frontal Crash Test – Original Test
In the moderate overlap frontal test, a larger portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts a deformable barrier. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, again tested as the Ford Edge (models 2019-23), received a Good rating in this assessment.
The key ratings for the moderate overlap frontal test are as follows:
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Chest: Good
- Leg/foot, left: Good
- Leg/foot, right: Good
- Driver restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
The technical measurements for this test are detailed below:
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 5 |
| Center (cm) | 3 |
| Right (cm) | 6 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 9 |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 1 |
| Upward (cm) | 0 |
| Rearward (cm) | -5 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| HIC-15 | 189 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 9 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.25 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 26 |
| Femur force – left (kN) | 0.8 |
| Femur force – right (kN) | 1.2 |
| Knee displacement – left (mm) | 3 |
| Knee displacement – right (mm) | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index – left | 0.24 |
| Maximum tibia index – right | 0.36 |
| Tibia axial force – left (kN) | 1.2 |
| Tibia axial force – right (kN) | 2.3 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 39 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 61 |
These results reinforce the strong frontal crash protection offered by the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Side Crash Tests – Original and Updated
Side impacts are another critical area of safety assessment. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus has undergone both original and updated side crash tests.
In the original side crash test, the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus received a Good overall rating.
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Torso: Good
- Pelvis/leg: Good
- Driver head protection: Good
- Rear passenger injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Torso: Good
- Pelvis/leg: Good
- Rear passenger head protection: Good
Technical measurements from the original side crash test:
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver’s seat (cm) | -20.0 |
Driver injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 89 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.7 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 37 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 30 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 24 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.74 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.30 |
| Pelvis Iliac force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Pelvis Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 2.4 |
| Left femur L-M force (kN) | 0.7 |
| Left femur L-M moment (Nm) | 13 |
| Left femur A-P moment (Nm) | 90 |
Passenger injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 68 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.2 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 35 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.8 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 21 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.27 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.32 |
| Pelvis Iliac force (kN) | 0.2 |
| Pelvis Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.8 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 1.8 |
| Left femur L-M force (kN) | 0.7 |
| Left femur L-M moment (Nm) | 28 |
| Left femur A-P moment (Nm) | 107 |
In the more stringent updated side crash test (Side 2.0), applicable to 2022-23 models, the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus still achieved a Good overall rating, although some individual metrics differed.
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Torso: Good
- Pelvis: Marginal
- Driver head protection: Good
- Rear passenger injury measures:
- Head/neck: Good
- Torso: Acceptable
- Pelvis: Good
- Rear passenger head protection: Good
Technical measurements from the updated side crash test:
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver’s seat (cm) | -18.5 |
Driver injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 208 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 1.8 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.1 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 22 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.2 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.70 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.33 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 5.2 |
Passenger injury measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 260 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.7 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 38 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.9 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 40 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 30 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 5.00 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.79 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 2.4 |
Despite a “Marginal” rating for driver pelvis and “Acceptable” for rear passenger torso in the updated test, the overall “Good” rating indicates robust side impact protection for the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Roof Strength Test
The roof strength test evaluates the vehicle’s ability to withstand forces in a rollover crash. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus achieved a Good rating in this test as well.
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Curb weight: 4,489 lbs
- Peak force: 23,376 lbs
- Strength-to-weight ratio: 5.21
This strong strength-to-weight ratio demonstrates the robust roof structure of the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, offering significant protection in rollover scenarios.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Head Restraints & Seats
Whiplash protection is crucial in rear-end collisions. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus’s head restraints and seats earned a Good overall rating.
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Dynamic rating: Good
- Seat/head restraint geometry: Good
Technical measurements for head restraints and seats:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Backset (mm) | 17 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 12 |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 11.2 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 52 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 0 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 316 |
These results indicate that the seat and head restraint design in the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus effectively minimizes the risk of whiplash injuries in rear impacts.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Headlights
Headlight performance is a vital aspect of nighttime safety. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus offers two different headlight variations, with varying ratings.
For the Reserve trim with Ultimate package and Black Label trim, equipped with LED projector headlights, the overall rating is Good.
- Overall rating: Good
Low beam performance: Good visibility on the right side of the road and fair on the left straightaway; good on sharp left and both right curves, but inadequate on gradual left curve. Glare was not exceeded.
High beam performance: Good visibility on the right side of the road and fair on the left straightaway; good on sharp left and both right curves, but inadequate on gradual left curve. High-beam assist compensates for some low beam limitations.
For the Base, Select, and Reserve trims with LED reflector headlights, the overall rating is Acceptable.
- Overall rating: Acceptable
Low beam performance: Good visibility on both sides of the straightaway; good on both right curves and fair on both left curves. Some glare was observed.
High beam performance: Good visibility on both sides of the straightaway; good on both right curves and fair on both left curves. High-beam assist compensates for some low beam limitations.
While both headlight systems are rated Acceptable or Good, the LED projector headlights on higher trims offer superior performance and are rated as Good overall.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Front Crash Prevention – Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are increasingly important in avoiding accidents. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus has two available front crash prevention systems, both rated Superior.
The Standard Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (part of Standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360) and the Optional Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (part of Optional Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Plus) both earned Superior ratings.
Both systems meet forward collision warning requirements and successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph vehicle-to-vehicle tests.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Front Crash Prevention – Pedestrian (Day)
Pedestrian safety is another critical aspect of crash prevention. The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus’s pedestrian front crash prevention systems are rated Advanced.
Both the standard Pre-collision Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking and the optional Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking systems received an Advanced rating.
Both systems demonstrated effective pedestrian detection and collision mitigation in various scenarios, including crossing child, crossing adult, and parallel adult tests. While collisions were not always avoided, significant speed reductions were achieved, minimizing potential injury severity.
Lincoln Nautilus Safety: Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
Child passenger safety is paramount for families. The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system in the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus received ratings of Acceptable and Marginal, depending on the trim level.
For the Select trim with leather seats, the LATCH system is rated Acceptable.
For the Reserve trim with leather seats, the LATCH system is rated Marginal.
The difference in ratings appears to be related to the force required to attach lower anchors and their depth within the seat, particularly in the Reserve trim. While the Nautilus has multiple rear seating positions with LATCH hardware, ease of use varies between trims.
Conclusion: 2023 Lincoln Nautilus – A Safe and Secure Choice
Overall, the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus demonstrates strong safety performance across a range of crash tests and safety evaluations. It consistently achieves “Good” ratings in key crashworthiness categories, including frontal and side impacts, and roof strength. Its front crash prevention systems are rated “Superior” and “Advanced,” depending on the scenario. Headlight ratings vary from “Acceptable” to “Good” depending on the trim. The LATCH system for child seats is rated “Acceptable” or “Marginal.”
For prospective buyers prioritizing safety, the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus offers a reassuring package of crash protection and accident avoidance technologies, making it a safe and secure choice in the luxury SUV segment. While some areas like the updated side crash test and LATCH ease of use show room for potential improvement, the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus generally performs well in safety assessments.
