- Ford BlueCruise, the automaker's hands-free highway driving assistant, reaches version 1.4.
- The new software release improves in-lane stability and decreases disengagements.
Ford BlueCruise, the American automaker’s hands-free advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) is getting a new version that minimizes interruptions on the highway, increases in-lane stability and is better at automatically adjusting the vehicle’s speed in curves.
BlueCruise 1.4 is Ford’s “best, hands-free highway driving experience yet,” the company said. The latest software iteration includes an all-new motion controller which controls the vehicle’s steering. As a result, drivers will notice greater in-lane stability compared to previous versions and longer hands-free engagements in inclement weather like rain or direct sun, according to the automaker.
Vehicles running BlueCruise 1.4 will automatically slow down along a curve while remaining in hands-free mode, whereas previous versions may have disengaged. The features of older versions are still there, like hands-free lane changes at the tap of a turn signal and in-lane repositioning which subtly shifts away from vehicles in adjacent lanes to give a little more room.
The key takeaway with version 1.4 is that cars will deliver a more natural feeling drive and more time in hands-free mode versus older versions, according to Ford. Compared to BlueCruise 1.0, 1.4 can stay engaged for up to eight times longer in hands-free mode. Compared to version 1.2, drivers will be able to go hands-free for up to five times longer.
BlueCruise only works on highways, as opposed to Tesla’s so-called Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature. Owners of compatible 2025 Ford models have to pay $700 for a year of BlueCruise, but then the price goes up to $800 per year or $75 per month. By comparison, Tesla’s FSD, which also works on city streets and comes with additional features such as Actual Smart Summon, costs $8,000 to buy outright or $99 per month for a subscription.
The latest version of Ford’s BlueCruise will come installed from the factory for select 2025 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the F-150, while older cars will get a software update in the future. Ford didn’t say which cars will get the over-the-air update. The American car manufacturer claims there are 492,000 BlueCruise-equipped vehicles on the road globally and that customers drove more than 244 million hands-free miles with the system engaged.
