BlueCruise, Ford’s intelligent adaptive cruise control system, already offers drivers a host of assistive features including lane centering, traffic sign recognition and hands-free highway driving over more than 130,000 miles. of American highways. Thursday, Ford announced that it will start will release the version 1.2 update to the program later this fall, beginning with Mach-E 2023, and will include new assists such as hands-free lane change, lane repositioning, and predictive speed assist. The same additions will also come to Lincoln owners with the release of ActiveGlide 1.2 (the new version of Lincoln’s BlueCruise).
Ford
Hands-free lane changing is what it sounds like, just touch the turn signal and the vehicle will slide into one when it’s safe to do so. It will also pre-emptively suggest shifts if it sees a slower vehicle approaching. Predictive Speed Assist is designed to detect sharp turns ahead and guide the vehicle safely through them, while Lane Repositioning will cause the vehicle to stick to either lane to provide additional padding between its bumpers. and the semitrailer in the next lane.
The new features will first appear with the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select and 2023 Lincoln Navigator Standard. Owners will also need to have the Ford Co-Pilot360 system installed and subscribe to a $600 three-year service plan, which keeps hands-free driving maps up to date. They will also need to have the FordPass or Lincoln Way companion app installed on their phone. 2023 Mach-E and Navigator owners will receive the first three months of service free as an introductory demo.
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