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Lincoln Nautilus Is 2025 MotorTrend SUV Of The Year, Beats Chevy Equinox And GMC Hummer EV SUV

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus midsize luxury crossover has been named the 2025 MotorTrend SUV of the Year. Up against tough competition from across the industry, the Nautilus triumphed for its blend of head-turning design, luxurious, high-tech interior, and satisfactory powertrains, elevating the Lincoln brand to a higher level.

MotorTrend’s “of-the-year” criteria are sixfold: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Performance of Intended Function, Value, Efficiency, and Safety. The Lincoln Nautilus hit the right blend of all six to earn the SUV of the Year title. Interestingly, this is the first MotorTrend SUV of the Year since 2022 that isn’t an EV and the first from an American brand since the Jeep Wrangler won the title in 2019.

2025 Lincoln Nautilus side profile.

The Nautilus beat out two GM SUVs for SUV of the Year: the 2025 GMC Hummer EV SUV and the 2025 Chevy Equinox. MotorTrend called the Hummer EV SUV “the vehicle we hate to love.” The staff chided the Hummer for its inefficiency, enormity, and perceived lack of braking power but couldn’t deny its sheer cool factor.

As for the all-new, fourth-generation 2025 Chevy Equinox, MotorTrend was a little nicer to this more affordable and practical crossover. It praised its larger size and more rugged appearance while maintaining a starting price under $30k. It praised the Equinox for piggybacking on the successful reinvention of the 2024 Chevy Trax.

2024 Lincoln Nautilus interior.

A few more of the varied contenders across the industry for 2025 SUV of the Year include EVs like the Rivian R1S and Kia EV9, off-roaders like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX, and the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

MotorTrend admitted that its staff wasn’t expecting the Lincoln Nautilus to be the victor in this competitive group of SUVs and crossovers. It appears that what brought it to the top was what it does for the Lincoln brand. The Nautilus isn’t imitating a sporty German SUV; it’s staking out its own identity as a comfy cruiser with handsome styling, the latest technology, and the value proposition that comes with Ford’s luxury brand.

The closest GM rival to the Lincoln Nautilus is the aging but more affordable Cadillac XT5, which has an all-new generation in China but not here in its home market. GM historically hasn’t performed very well in the MotorTrend SUV of the Year ranking. Since the award debuted in 1999, the only GM vehicles to win the title were the 2002 GMC Envoy and the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. The 2024 Nautilus is the first Lincoln and – unless you count the 2005 Land Rover LR3 – the first Ford product to win the accolade.

George is an automotive journalist with soft spots for classic GM muscle cars, Corvettes, and Geo.

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Comments

  1. US-GM lacking because of their electrify push.

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    1. Last year’s winner was an EV.

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      1. MotorTrend is a bunch of lightweights anyways.

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  2. Not a fan of the plain exterior and dumb door handle design but that interior is well above anything GM is doing. So are the powertrains offering the buyer a choice of gas or hybrid turbo engines. Nice to see something from here actually win the award even if the exterior styling leaves me a bit cold

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    1. I second your comment on the door handles. Oddly placed and bulging from an otherwise smooth exterior. Could have been sleek like a Tesla or Range Rover.

      Reply
  3. What a joke

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    1. The joke is that GM could have sold an equally winning CUV with the 2nd gen XT5. But instead they decided to give that market up to the Nautilus. The Lyriq may be the best selling luxury EV SUV but many XT5 owners not comfortable with EVs or simply waiting on EVs tech to improve (like myself) will have to look elsewhere for a luxury ICE or hybrid crossover. By then, maybe I get a Genesis GV80 and land up loving it so much I forget about GM altogether like many did in the 90s when the Japanese gained ground. They just never learn.

      Reply
  4. It maybe the first SUV from Lincoln yo win the COY award but not the first model from Lincoln. That honor goes to the Lincoln LS who was Motor Trend Car of the Year in 2000.

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  5. I had 2SRX’s and 2 XT5’s because I needed AWD for my job. I liked the compact nature and only 2 row seating. The only reason why I went away from the XT5 because I had 2 and they never updated the look until now; the next generation looks great and I understand what you were saying about several models from the same plant. All they would need to do is replace the outdated version with the new one, just like they do with the Corvette. (own a C7 as well).
    The current political situation will impose tariffs on vehicles made in China. I lease my daily driver so I guess I will have to do more research on what’s made here to avoid the additional charges. It’s too bad that Cadillac feels that they cannot make their best selling ICE mid size SUV here and have to make it in China.

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  7. Combine Ford’s terrible new product launch quality with the intro of this vehicle’s ultra high tech infotainment system. What could possibly go wrong?

    Actual owners aren’t nearly as positive with their reviews as MT is.

    Reply

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