Photo: Ford
Ford’s and Lincoln’s hands-free driving assistance systems available on over 130,000 miles (209,215 kilometers) of mostly U.S. highways are getting better at navigating for you. The newest update brings in-lane repositioning, predictive speed assist, and, last but not least, hands-free lane changing for easier passing. Here’s everything you need to know.
Ford BlueCruise 1.2 and Lincoln ActiveGlide 1.2 will soon be updated on every vehicle that has them enabled. They’re going to perform better and do more for the owners, but not without having you pay attention to the surrounding conditions while on the go. The hands-free driving systems use advanced cruise control with stop-and-go, lane centering, and speed recognition functions to relieve the person behind the wheel of having to turn the wheel and use the pedals. But it also monitors you! If the driver isn’t paying attention or doesn’t have their hands on the wheel, BlueCruise will not activate.
Similarly, if the interior camera detects that the driver is distracted, some warnings will pop up. If nothing changes and the person behind the wheel isn’t reacting, then BlueCruise will deactivate. At first, it will give you a jiggle by tapping the brakes, and then it’ll gradually slow the vehicle down by controlling the steering if there’s still no human input.
With the 1.2 version, vehicles will be able to change the lane by themselves after the driver signals this intent by tapping the turn signal, will slow down to avoid sharp maneuvering, and will make sure they can change in-lane positioning when there are bigger vehicles next to them on the highway. Ford says it aims to deliver a “human-like driving performance” and this update is one of the steps in the right direction.
The updated advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) will be shipped on the 2023 Mustang Mach-E and the 2023 Lincoln Navigator right from the factory. Other vehicles with BlueCruise 1.1 or Lincoln ActiveGlide 1.1 will be upgraded after an unspecified waiting period via an over-the-air software update.
According to Ford CEO Jim Farley, over 75,000 Ford and Lincoln owners are currently enrolled in the BlueCruise and ActiveGlide programs. The Dearborn-based carmaker has also built a team that constantly works to improve the hands-free driving assistance systems.
BlueCruise is available on Ford’s 2021 Mustang Mach-E, 2021 F-150, 2022 Mustang Mach-E, 2022 Expedition, and 2022 F-150.
ActiveGlide works on Lincoln’s 2022 Navigator and comes as a standard feature. The Nautilus and the Aviator don’t have it.
“Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment, and need to control the vehicle. Active Drive Assist is a hands-free highway driving feature. Only remove hands from the steering wheel when in a Hands-Free Zone. Always watch the road and be prepared to resume control of the vehicle. It does not replace safe driving,” said both Ford and Lincoln.
Similarly, if the interior camera detects that the driver is distracted, some warnings will pop up. If nothing changes and the person behind the wheel isn’t reacting, then BlueCruise will deactivate. At first, it will give you a jiggle by tapping the brakes, and then it’ll gradually slow the vehicle down by controlling the steering if there’s still no human input.
With the 1.2 version, vehicles will be able to change the lane by themselves after the driver signals this intent by tapping the turn signal, will slow down to avoid sharp maneuvering, and will make sure they can change in-lane positioning when there are bigger vehicles next to them on the highway. Ford says it aims to deliver a “human-like driving performance” and this update is one of the steps in the right direction.
The updated advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) will be shipped on the 2023 Mustang Mach-E and the 2023 Lincoln Navigator right from the factory. Other vehicles with BlueCruise 1.1 or Lincoln ActiveGlide 1.1 will be upgraded after an unspecified waiting period via an over-the-air software update.
According to Ford CEO Jim Farley, over 75,000 Ford and Lincoln owners are currently enrolled in the BlueCruise and ActiveGlide programs. The Dearborn-based carmaker has also built a team that constantly works to improve the hands-free driving assistance systems.
BlueCruise is available on Ford’s 2021 Mustang Mach-E, 2021 F-150, 2022 Mustang Mach-E, 2022 Expedition, and 2022 F-150.
ActiveGlide works on Lincoln’s 2022 Navigator and comes as a standard feature. The Nautilus and the Aviator don’t have it.
“Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment, and need to control the vehicle. Active Drive Assist is a hands-free highway driving feature. Only remove hands from the steering wheel when in a Hands-Free Zone. Always watch the road and be prepared to resume control of the vehicle. It does not replace safe driving,” said both Ford and Lincoln.
We’re rolling out BlueCruise 1.2 with three new features: hands-free lane changing for easier passing, in-lane repositioning, and predictive speed assist to smoothly reduce speed into sharper curves. https://t.co/YHuTihks0w pic.twitter.com/nCNMLpsZtK
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) September 8, 2022
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