The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus stands as a testament to safety in the luxury SUV market. This analysis delves into the safety ratings and crash test performance of the Lincoln Nautilus 2021, providing a detailed overview for potential buyers and automotive enthusiasts. Understanding vehicle safety is paramount, and this report, based on rigorous testing, offers crucial insights into how the Nautilus performs in various safety evaluations.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side Evaluation
The small overlap front crash test simulates a collision where only a small portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts an object, such as a tree or pole. This test is particularly demanding as it concentrates crash forces on a limited area of the vehicle’s structure, bypassing the main energy-absorbing structures.
The Lincoln Nautilus 2021, sharing its structural design with the Lincoln MKX and Ford Edge (from 2019 onwards), received a Good rating in the driver-side small overlap front test. This “Good” rating is the highest possible, indicating robust structural integrity and effective occupant protection in this challenging scenario.
Key findings from the driver-side test include:
- Structure and Safety Cage: Rated Good, signifying that the structural integrity of the Nautilus was well-maintained during the crash.
- Driver Injury Measures: All injury measures for the driver – Head/Neck, Chest, Hip/Thigh, and Lower Leg/Foot – were rated Good. This demonstrates a low risk of significant injuries to the driver in a real-world small overlap frontal crash.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Also rated Good, indicating that the safety restraints effectively controlled the dummy’s movement during the crash, minimizing potential injuries.
Technical measurements from the driver-side small overlap test further support these ratings. Occupant compartment intrusion was minimal, with maximum intrusion at the lower hinge pillar measured at 9 cm and even less intrusion in other critical areas like the footrest and steering column. Driver injury measures were also low, with a Head Injury Criterion (HIC-15) of just 69 and minimal neck tension and chest compression. Leg and foot injury risks were also negligible.
The image above captures the Lincoln Nautilus 2021 undergoing the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test. The controlled deformation demonstrates how the vehicle is designed to absorb impact energy.
This image shows the dummy’s position after the test. The excellent maintenance of the driver’s survival space, relative to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel, is evident.
The effectiveness of the frontal and side curtain airbags is highlighted in this image, showcasing their role in preventing head injuries by keeping it away from rigid structures.
This image focuses on the footwell area, confirming that the driver’s space was well-preserved, and the risk of lower extremity injuries was minimal.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side Evaluation
Complementing the driver-side assessment, the passenger-side small overlap front crash test evaluates protection for the front passenger. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 also achieved a Good rating in this critical evaluation.
Similar to the driver-side test, the passenger-side assessment considered:
- Overall Evaluation: Good, reflecting comprehensive safety performance.
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good, mirroring the driver-side result and indicating consistent structural strength across the front of the vehicle.
- Passenger Injury Measures: All passenger injury measures (Head/Neck, Chest, Hip/Thigh, and Lower Leg/Foot) were rated Good, ensuring a high level of safety for the front passenger.
- Passenger Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Rated Good, confirming effective restraint system performance for the passenger.
- Driver Injury Measures & Restraints: Although focused on passenger safety, the test also assessed driver injury measures and restraints, both receiving Good ratings, further validating overall frontal crash protection.
Technical data from the passenger-side test shows occupant compartment intrusion similar to the driver-side, with a maximum of 9 cm at the lower hinge pillar. Passenger injury metrics such as HIC-15 (110) and chest compression (25 mm) remained low. Importantly, driver injury measures assessed in this test also showed low values, reinforcing the consistent safety performance for both front occupants.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Original Evaluation
The moderate overlap front crash test represents a more common type of frontal collision, where a significant portion of the vehicle’s front width impacts another vehicle or a barrier. In this test, the Lincoln Nautilus 2021 again demonstrated excellent safety performance, earning a Good rating.
Key aspects of the moderate overlap front test results for the Nautilus include:
- Overall Evaluation: Good, the highest rating possible.
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good, indicating robust structural design to withstand moderate frontal impacts.
- Driver Injury Measures: All driver injury measures—Head/Neck, Chest, and Leg/Foot (both left and right)—were rated Good. This signifies consistent protection across different body regions in a moderate frontal crash.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Rated Good, confirming the effectiveness of the restraint systems in managing occupant motion and minimizing injury risks during this type of collision.
Measurements from the moderate overlap test reveal minimal footwell intrusion and instrument panel movement, further substantiating the “Good” structural rating. Driver injury measures remained low, with a HIC-15 of 189 and chest compression of 26 mm, and low femur forces and tibia indices.
Side Impact Crash Test: Original Evaluation
Side-impact collisions pose a significant threat, and the side crash test assesses how well a vehicle protects occupants in such events. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 performed admirably in the side crash test, achieving a Good overall rating.
The side impact test evaluation highlights:
- Overall Evaluation: Good, the top rating.
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good, indicating the vehicle’s side structure effectively resists intrusion during a side impact.
- Driver Injury Measures: All driver injury measures (Head/Neck, Torso, and Pelvis/Leg) were rated Good, demonstrating comprehensive side impact protection for the driver.
- Driver Head Protection: Rated Good, showing effective head protection from side impacts, likely due to side curtain airbags.
- Rear Passenger Injury Measures: Similarly, all rear passenger injury measures (Head/Neck, Torso, and Pelvis/Leg) were rated Good, ensuring side impact safety for rear occupants as well.
- Rear Passenger Head Protection: Rated Good, confirming head protection for rear passengers in side collisions.
Technical measurements from the side impact test show minimal B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment. Driver and passenger injury measures were also low, including HIC-15 scores for both front and rear occupants well under the threshold for concern, and minimal forces on the neck, shoulder, torso, and pelvis.
Roof Strength Evaluation
Roof strength is crucial in rollover accidents. The roof strength test measures how well a vehicle’s roof can withstand forces in a rollover scenario. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 achieved a Good rating in roof strength.
Key metrics from the roof strength test include:
- Overall Evaluation: Good, the highest rating.
- Strength-to-Weight Ratio: An impressive 5.21. This ratio indicates that the Nautilus’s roof can withstand over 5 times the vehicle’s weight, demonstrating significant rollover protection.
- Peak Force: 23,376 lbs, the maximum force the roof sustained before significant deformation, against a curb weight of 4,489 lbs.
This strong roof strength rating is a critical safety feature, particularly for an SUV like the Lincoln Nautilus which has a higher center of gravity compared to sedans.
Head Restraints & Seats Evaluation
Whiplash and neck injuries are common in rear-end collisions. The head restraints and seats evaluation assesses how well a vehicle’s seats and head restraints protect against these injuries. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 with power leather seats received a Good overall rating in this evaluation.
The assessment included:
- Overall Evaluation: Good.
- Dynamic Rating: Good, based on simulated rear-impact testing.
- Seat/Head Restraint Geometry: Good, reflecting proper head restraint positioning relative to the seat.
Technical measurements confirm good geometry with a backset of 17mm and distance below the top of the head at 12mm. The seat design parameters also passed, with low neck shear and tension forces measured in dynamic testing.
Headlights Evaluation
Visibility is a critical aspect of safety, especially at night. The headlight evaluation assesses the performance of vehicle headlights in providing adequate illumination while minimizing glare for oncoming drivers. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 has been evaluated with different headlight variations, and ratings vary by trim level and production date.
For Reserve and Black Label trims built after March 2021 equipped with LED projector headlights and High-Beam Assist, the overall rating is Good. These headlights provide good visibility on straightaways and curves with minimal glare.
However, for other trim levels including Base, Select, and Reserve trims, equipped with LED reflector headlights (and for Reserve & Black Label trims built before April 2021 with LED projector headlights), the overall rating is Poor or Marginal (depending on build date). These headlights, while offering decent visibility in some scenarios, were found to produce excessive glare, especially on curves, and thus received less favorable ratings.
It’s crucial for prospective buyers to understand which headlight system is equipped on their specific Lincoln Nautilus 2021, as the difference in headlight performance and safety rating is significant.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle Evaluation
Front crash prevention systems are designed to mitigate or prevent collisions with other vehicles. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 has two front crash prevention system variations:
- Optional Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking: This system, part of the optional Driver Assistance package, received a Superior rating. In tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, the vehicle avoided collisions entirely. This system also meets forward collision warning requirements.
- Standard Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking: This system, part of the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360, also received a Superior rating. It too avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests and meets forward collision warning standards.
Both systems demonstrate excellent vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention capabilities, a significant safety advantage of the Lincoln Nautilus 2021.
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day) Evaluation
Protecting pedestrians is increasingly important. The pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation assesses how well a vehicle’s system can detect and respond to pedestrians. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 again has variations in pedestrian front crash prevention systems:
- Optional Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (on Reserve trim with Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 Plus package): Rated Advanced. This system showed good performance in pedestrian scenarios, avoiding collisions or significantly reducing impact speeds in tests involving crossing children and adults, and parallel adults.
- Standard Pre-collision Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking (standard on all 2019-23 models): Rated Advanced. This standard system also performed well, avoiding collisions or substantially reducing impact speeds in pedestrian tests, showing robust pedestrian detection and response capabilities.
Both systems provide “Advanced” level pedestrian front crash prevention, offering an added layer of safety for vulnerable road users.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH) Evaluation
Ease of use of child seat anchors is important for families. The Child Seat Anchors (LATCH) evaluation assesses the usability of the LATCH system. The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 received different ratings depending on the trim level:
- Select trim with leather seats: Rated Acceptable. While the vehicle has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with a tether anchor, certain aspects like anchor depth and force required for attachment were noted.
- Reserve trim with leather seats: Rated Marginal. Similar to the Select trim, it has LATCH hardware, but usability issues, particularly force required for lower anchor attachment, led to a “Marginal” rating.
For both trims, the LATCH system is functional, but some users may find installation slightly less convenient compared to systems with “Good” ratings.
Conclusion: Lincoln Nautilus 2021 Safety Performance
The Lincoln Nautilus 2021 demonstrates a strong commitment to safety, achieving top Good ratings in most crashworthiness evaluations, including small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, and roof strength tests. Its front crash prevention systems for both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian scenarios are rated Superior and Advanced, respectively, showcasing advanced safety technology.
However, headlight performance varies significantly by trim and production date, with some configurations rated Poor due to excessive glare. The LATCH system usability is rated as Acceptable or Marginal, indicating room for improvement in child seat anchor accessibility.
Overall, the Lincoln Nautilus 2021 offers a high level of safety for occupants in various crash scenarios, supported by robust structural design and advanced safety features. Potential buyers should be aware of the headlight variations and LATCH usability to make informed decisions based on their specific needs and priorities.
