Ford is releasing a new version of its BlueCruise hands-free driving software, version 1.4, that it claims will let you keep your hands off the wheel for twice as long. In fact, the company tells us that it can now run an average of five times longer compared to last year's version 1.2 and twice as long as version 1.3, which only recently began rolling out. The company does not specify how long, on average, a vehicle can be driven with BlueCruise.
The improvements are due to new “Motion Controller” software, which Ford says will help your BlueCruise-equipped vehicle stay on track better, as well as improvements in handling varying weather conditions, tight turns, narrow lanes and reflections from the sun .
I recently tested BlueCruise 1.2 in a 2024 Lincoln Nautilus and felt that it already worked smoothly when navigating tight turns. However, after a sudden rainfall, the system warned me to put my hands back on the wheel, so version 1.4 might improve this situation.
BlueCruise 1.4 will initially ship with the new 2025 Ford F-150 and 2025 Lincoln Navigator, and it will also come as an over-the-air (OTA) software update “to select future vehicle lines.” Ford has not confirmed which vehicles will receive the OTA update, says public relations representative Whitney Pineda The edge.
Consumer Reports currently ranks BlueCruise as the most advanced driver assistance system on the market, surpassing GM's Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot. According to Ford, 492,000 vehicles on the road worldwide are equipped with BlueCruise.