Lincoln Nautilus vs Hyundai Venue

The 2026 Lincoln Nautilus exuded a stately presence with its distinctive grille, reminiscent of a horse collar, adorned with the Lincoln star trim elements in chrome, copper, or black, depending on the trim level. The large Lincoln logo was prominently displayed at the center, flanked by squinting eye-slit headlights with winged LED light signatures. Its wide and proud stance was accentuated by a contrasting black roof and pillars, with integrated door handles in the shoulder line. The body featured a spear-shaped design element along the upper doors, complemented by Nautilus lettering and a trim strip above the rocker panels. The rear boasted a spoiler and a full-width taillight within a black trim piece, all sitting on standard 19-inch alloy wheels, with larger options available. Inside, the Nautilus offered a high-end look with a unique layout, featuring a 48-inch screen at the base of the windshield, requiring a lowered steering wheel with a flat top. The interior design was stepped, starting with a low-set center console, moving up to the infotainment touchscreen, and culminating in the wide display screen. The base Premiere trim offered synthetic leather upholstery, while the Reserve trim upgraded to leather with a chocolate brown option. The top Black Label model presented two design themes: Chalet and Aurora, each offering a luxurious and modern feel.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue, classified as a crossover SUV, had a design that leaned more towards a tall hatchback. It featured only front-wheel drive and a ground clearance of 6.7 inches, which was higher than a car's but not as tall as a typical crossover SUV. The Venue's design was compact and narrow, with an upright windshield and SUV-like cues such as a bluff nose and standard roof rails. The high nose was flanked by lower headlights and high-set daytime running lights, with a lower air intake set within a satin metallic lower fascia. The sides were defined by roof rails and black rocker panels, with black wheel flares around small 15- or 17-inch wheels. The rear pillars angled sharply forward, and a two-tone roof was available for added flair. Inside, the Venue's look was simple and functional, with a digital instrument cluster and a small touchscreen resembling an iPad on the dash. Body-color trim surrounded the air vents and shifter, bringing some of the exterior feel inside.

The 2026 Lincoln Nautilus offered modest power for its price, with a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This was adequate for a typical midsize SUV, but luxury buyers expected more, especially given the vehicle's weight of over 4,500 pounds. It came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The hybrid version, which was tested, used the same engine with a larger turbo and an electric motor, boosting output to 310 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that kept the powertrain in the background. The hybrid's 0-60 mph time improved to about 7 seconds. The Nautilus prioritized quiet, serene comfort over sportiness, with a MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension. The Reserve and Black Label trims added adaptive dampers. The Nautilus offered various drive modes, but its handling was generally soft and spongy, with slow but direct steering. The ride was smooth, even with the largest 22-inch wheels, though rippled surfaces could cause some jiggling.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue was one of the least powerful vehicles on the market, with a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing only 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Power was delivered through a CVT to the front wheels, with no all-wheel drive option. The Venue's 0-60 mph time ranged from 8.5 to 8.8 seconds, aided by its lightweight of 2,738 pounds. The power felt peppy in city traffic but struggled at highway speeds, with the transmission slow to downshift. The Venue's handling benefited from its small size and low weight, making it easy to maneuver in traffic and fit into tight parking spots. The 6.7 inches of ground clearance allowed for some lean in corners, but the steering was stable and direct. The ride was generally comfortable, though the solid rear axle made it jiggly on broken pavement.

The 2026 Lincoln Nautilus emphasized comfort for both front and rear passengers. It came standard with power-adjustable heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, active noise cancellation, ambient lighting, and a power tilt/telescoping steering column. Higher trims offered ventilated front seats, 24-way power front seats with massage functions, and heated rear seats. The second row provided excellent space with 43.2 inches of legroom and sculpted seats. The rear seats folded down via power releases, offering 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats up and 71.3 cubic feet when folded flat. A power liftgate was standard, with a hands-free version available.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue featured cloth and H-Tex seats with black upholstery and white contrast stitching. The seats were comfortable, with six-way manual adjustments. Headroom was plentiful, but legroom was limited for taller individuals. The rear seat had enough room for average-sized adults, but taller passengers would struggle for legroom. The rear seat folded flat in a 60/40 split, providing 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and 18.7 cubic feet with the seats up. The Venue's rear cargo floor lifted to access the compact spare tire, revealing cost-cutting measures like the lack of sound deadening. The interior featured hard black plastic with limited soft-touch surfaces.

The 2026 Lincoln Nautilus featured a full-width, 48-inch screen at the base of the windshield, displaying essential information like maps, weather, and media. An 11.1-inch touchscreen handled typical infotainment controls, including navigation, climate settings, and phone mirroring via wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard features included a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, digital key, satellite radio, remote start, and a wireless smartphone charger. The audio system ranged from a standard 10-speaker setup to a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D unit. The Black Label trim offered Lincoln Rejuvenate, a relaxation program using scent, seating, lighting, and calming images.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue came with a simple 8-inch touchscreen for basic infotainment features. It included phone, radio, media, and phone-projection connections, as well as voice memos and settings controls. It lacked navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM satellite radio, but offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The digital instrument cluster displayed limited information. The audio system was a basic six-speaker unit, with no premium option available.

The 2026 Lincoln Nautilus was equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering steering, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, exit warning, front and rear parking sensors, a driver-attention monitor, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and intersection assist, and front and rear automatic emergency braking. Lincoln BlueCruise, a hands-free driving system, was also standard. The Nautilus received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue offered a good set of standard safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, and a rear-occupant warning. Blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert were available on all but the base SE. The Venue received a four-star rating from the NHTSA, with the IIHS yet to release full safety ratings. It scored "Good" in the small front overlap test, but other ratings were unavailable.