Automotive awards are generally pointless, but the can be an interesting glimpse into the industry as a whole. Over the 75+ years that MotorTrend has given out Car Of The Year awards, there have been more than a few doozys. Take models like the Chevy Citation in 1980, Chevy Malibu in 1997, VW Passat in 2012 for instance–stinkers all. 2025 seems to be another one of those years that will have you thinking “what?” But MotorTrend claims to have a method to the madness of awarding the 2025 Lincoln Nautilus as its SUV Of The Year. Not only did the Nautilus win, MT says the Nautilus won hands-down.
Even MotorTrend’s editors are surprised by this turn of events, but from the outset they felt the Nautilus had undeniable winner circle vibes:
The new Lincoln Nautilus is MotorTrend’s 2025 SUV of the Year. Who among us saw this coming? Looking through our judges’ notebooks reveals the answer to be not many. But as early as day one of our five-day SUVOTY evaluation process, the Nautilus had definite-finalist if not certain-winner vibes swarming around it.
It’s a surprising win, but maybe that’s because we’ve yet to drive it. The Nautilus does look way better than the MKX it replaces. The outgoing MKX was the second generation of a model that debuted back in 2007 and had been largely unchanged since 2016. It was time for something new, fresh and apparently award winning.
MotorTrend tests its Car and SUV Of The Year contenders on six key areas of criteria: design advancement, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function. With these criteria, MotorTrend says over 30 brands had models that were new or updated enough to qualify for the awards.
The Nautilus ran up against heavyweights like the new Toyota Land Cruiser and its Lexus GX cousin, the Hummer EV SUV, both the gas and EV versions of the new Chevy Equinox, the Ford Mustang Mach-e Rally, the Genesis GV80 Coupe, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and more. So In a field this deep, how exactly did the Nautilus come out on top?
Apparently it’s just that good. Take the design of the Nautilus’ interior, which MotorTrend staff called gorgeous. They even had high praise for the CVT:
Lincoln crafted a startlingly luxurious and upscale interior. You’re tempted to be most impressed by the massive 48-inch wraparound screen, but the seats’ quality really grabs you. They’re midcentury modern in look, feel, and comfort. Of special note to road warrior types: The left and right thigh cushions can raise and lower independently, which is a game changer over long distances. The crazy part? The couchlike rear bench is an even better place to be. And remember the Revel sound system? All those speakers are housed behind fancy-looking grilles.
You’d never know this Nautilus—the loaded Black Label Hybrid—is a hybrid. The integration between the motors buried in the CVT and the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four is excellent. Yes, a four-cylinder hybrid can indeed make for an excellent powertrain in a luxury vehicle. It’s one that gives the Nautilus more than 500 miles of range per tank, too.
It even scored good on value, even though its $52,000+ starting price isn’t exactly cheap. It wasn’t all great of course, how could it be? MotorTrend says it’s not exactly exciting to drive, and they didn’t seem to be convinced that its pricing on the higher trims was worth it, saying “$80,000 for anything related to a Ford Escape—no matter how brilliantly executed—feels, well, off.” The Nautilus is also the first winner to be made in China, so that’s cool I guess?
I can’t wait to see who they crown for their Truck and Car Of The Year Awards. If the Nautilus’ win is any indication, these upcoming winners may make us fall out of our chairs.