The base Nautilus Premiere starts at $51,890, while the top-spec Black Label trim kicks off at $75,050.

My mid-grade Reserve trim test car starts at $61,010. Freight fees and the other add-ons pushed the as-tested price past $67,000.

It's eye-catching and attractive but never feels the need to shout about it. There is no tacky body cladding or superfluous badging extolling the vehicle's luxury street cred. In fact, the word "Lincoln," shows up only once on the SUV (on the tailgate), and the Nautilus badge appears only twice, tastefully adorning the front doors. That's it.

It's a feature shared with the most recent Lincoln Continental sedan, one of my other favorite cars.

The Nautilus also comes with Ford's signature Securicode keyless keypad, as taple on high-end Ford models for more than 40 years.

Under the hood of my test is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, direct-injected inline-four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 ft.-lb. of torque. It's paired with a traditional eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system, which comes standard on all trims.

Despite the peppy acceleration from the 250-horsepower turbo four under the hood (0-60 in 7.3 seconds, according to Car and Driver), the Nautilus was made for comfortable cruising.

In fact, the SUV feels awkward and uneasy when pushed around corners, with understeering becoming more and more intense the quicker you go.

Keep the driving relaxed, and the Nautilus will reward you with a smooth and effortless experience.

The Nautilus comes with a four-year subscription to Ford's excellent Blue Cruise handsfree driving tech, which works brilliantly on straight sections of highway. The system augments the intelligent adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems that come standard on the Nautilus.

The interior is truly impressive. While the massive panoramic screen on the front dash may steal the show, it's Lincoln's thoughtful eye for detail that stands out, like the soft touch leather materials in high contact areas, upscale metallic and glass finishes on switch gear, and subtle wood grain accents create a refined and tasteful environment.

Overall ergonomics of the Nautilus interior are excellent, with plenty of story and charging options. Lincoln's build and the material quality of the interior are both excellent. Everything felt well screwed together with no rattles or squeaks around.

My only real gripe with the cabin is the need for physical climate controls.

The screen actually reminds me of the curved dash from Lincoln's boldly styled Mark 8 coupe of the 90s.

The Panoramic Screen is actually comprised of two smaller screens, the driver instrument display and navigation screen on the left and an information display in front of the passenger.

But as impressive as the big screen may look, it does feel a bit gimmicky. The passenger half doesn't do much apart from display information from a handful of widgets, such as the trip computer, audio info, weather, and clock.

Functionally, everything except for the instrument display is controlled using the 11.1-inch touchscreen on the center stack with a Google-based operating system.

The system was highly responsive and intuitively organized. It features built-in Google Maps, web browsing, and media streaming capability. The Nautilus also comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The flat-top wheel is certainly a striking design feature, but it's really an act of necessity to allow drivers visibility of the instrument display without the need for a massive steering wheel.

Even with the oval shape, I found myself needing to lower the wheel so that it would not obscure the instruments.

The leather, massaging front seats were some of the most comfortable and supportive I've experienced in a long time. The 24-way power adjustability allows you to really fine-tune the positioning of the seat.

It's basically an in-car spa experience that uses the seats' heat and massage features along with a selection of sounds, scents, and visuals to create a curated relaxation time for the driver when the vehicle is stationary.

The spacious rear cabin also comes with heated outboard seats, an AC power socket, and seatback USB-C plugs.

Fold down the rear seats, and cargo capacity expands to 68.8 cubic feet. The Nautilus, even in hybrid form, comes with a spare tire. Something that's becoming increasingly rare these days.

In the crowded luxury SUV market, Lincoln is fighting an uphill battle, especially for the attention of young buyers who tend to gravitate toward German brands.

With elegant looks, a refined ride, show-stopping tech, and an upscale interior that punches above its weight, the Nautilus is certainly an impressive new contender in the segment.

It's one I'd consider opening my wallet for.