2022 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling compared to other small luxury crossovers, featuring a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch. It seamlessly fit into the Volvo lineup with familial styling cues like “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and a simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The XC40 Recharge was distinguished by a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also featured a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive color—Sage Green Metallic. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with high-quality materials, real metal trim, and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery. The design was coherent, with elements like the portrait-oriented touchscreen and air vents melding into a pleasing whole.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus, especially in the Black Label trim with 21-inch machined-finish wheels, was an attractive SUV with balanced styling and plenty of character. At night, the Lincoln Embrace lighting sequence greeted drivers, and the Black Label model offered Chalet or Flight design themes. The Chalet design featured light gray premium leather upholstery, while Flight had a classy Luggage Tan color. The Black Label trim included nearly every available feature, such as a simulated suede headliner and luxury floor mats, creating a decadent interior. However, the center console design and some chrome-plated plastic pieces looked a bit cheap. The Black Label test vehicle featured Ultra Comfort 22-way power-adjustable front seats with Active Motion massage, perfect for long drives.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge at the top. The two gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 had 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor for each axle, enabling AWD and a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack provided electricity, with 75 kWh of usable capacity. Volvo quoted zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds for the Recharge, 6.1 seconds for the T5, and 8.1 seconds for the T4. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort over speed, with excellent ride quality even on winter-ravaged roads. It also offered one-pedal driving and a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus came with a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, with FWD and an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, and AWD as an option. The Black Label trim included a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine producing 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, requiring AWD. The Nautilus offered Comfort, Normal, and Sport driving modes, adjusting powertrain behavior, steering effort, and adaptive suspension. The Black Label test vehicle excelled in long drives, with massaging and heated driver’s seats and a heated steering wheel. The twin-turbo V6 had an EPA fuel economy rating of 21 mpg in combined driving, with a maximum range of 450 miles. The Nautilus proved to be a quiet, comfortable road-tripper with a 19-speaker Revel audio system. It handled well in Sport mode, though the steering lacked engagement.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models. However, it had less legroom in both front and rear seats than the Tesla Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E, and a smaller cargo area. The frunk was also small, with much of the space occupied by powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive on interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, such as a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was well-shaped to hold a phone, with a wireless charging pad as an option and a single USB-C port as standard. However, second-row occupants lacked phone-charging options.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label featured smooth leather, ambient lighting, and a quiet drive thanks to Active Noise Control and acoustic glass. Both front seats were heated and ventilated, with a heated power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. The optional 22-way power front seats included massage programs, adjustable thigh extensions, and head restraints, providing exceptional comfort. The outboard rear seats were heated, with air conditioning vents for rear passengers. However, the rear accommodations were unexpectedly cramped for a midsize SUV, with tight legroom. Practical storage space was adequate, though some locations were hard to access. The hands-free power liftgate revealed a nicely finished luggage compartment, with 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and a maximum of 68.8 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps. It included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity, with a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability for the infotainment system and other vehicle functions. It lacked a start button, with the car starting when the driver shifted out of park. The related Polestar 2 would soon get a Digital Key feature, but Volvo hadn’t confirmed it for the XC40.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Sync 4 software. Sync 4 offered OTA updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. The Black Label test vehicle included connected navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a 19-speaker Revel audio system. The system had an intuitive user interface, physical stereo and climate controls, and a natural voice recognition system. The Revel speakers provided excellent sound quality. The Nautilus also offered Phone as a Key, turning a smartphone into a digital key.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. These ratings didn’t apply to the electric XC40 Recharge, but Volvo expected it to perform well in crash tests. The XC40 came with standard safety features like lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus came with Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Black Label included Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0 Plus, adding adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance, evasive steering assist, a surround-view camera system, and parking sensors. The Black Label also featured a semi-autonomous parking assist system. The driving assistance systems proved effective without causing irritation. The NHTSA gave the Nautilus a five-star overall rating, with a four-star rating for rollover resistance. The IIHS hadn’t assessed the Nautilus for safety.