If you thought that Lincoln's naming convention made it sound as if its marketing team emerged from an MK Ultra facility having taken a few too many hits of acid and went to town listing names, you probably aren't alone. Its confusing monikers, including knockout hits like MKZ, MKC, MKX, and MKT, did little to inspire the sort of brand awe that names like "Continental" and "Navigator" did. Lincoln had previously hinted that it would get rid of its MK naming scheme, but now we have definite proof that the shift is taking place.

After Lincoln teased an upcoming LA Auto Show reveal on Twitter, Chris Doane Automotive did some digging and found images of a redesigned 2019 MKX set for an LA reveal. It's exterior looks follow Lincoln's new styling convention, which uses the grille from the Continental to depart from the split front end look and keep the brand modern. It's the name, however, that makes the car more palatable. Lincoln has chosen to call the MKX replacement "Nautilus", which we can tell by looking at the flanks that sit just ahead of the front doors. The exterior looks more mature and modern compared to the MKX while sticking close to the design of the recently released MKC (which didn't get the same naming makeover) albeit with a larger frame.

From the exterior we can also garner the engine Lincoln has chosen thanks to the "2.7 T" badges on the rear. That alludes to the 2.7-liter Ford EcoBoost V6 that resides in the current MKX where it makes a spritely 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. Our experience with the current MKX and its refined power plant was one of joy, especially with torque-filled launches and adjustable dampers that make the crossover a joy to drive both in the city and through the corners. We have yet to see what the interior looks like, but our hope is that Ford found a way to consolidate the number of buttons on the dashboard to eliminate some of its complicated and confusing feel. Stay tuned to see if that happened.