Ford BlueCruise 1.4 Hands-Free ADAS Dramatically Minimizes Disengagements

The company said BlueCruise will now stay engaged in hands-free driving mode for up to eight times longer than version 1.0.

By: Iulian Dnistran

Sep 27, 2024 at 3:10am ET

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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.

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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.

Ford's charts don't have labeled axes, so it's hard to quantify what's being shown.

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.