The Ford BlueCruise 1.4 improvements and updates should make it much easier for drivers to understand what’s going on when their hands aren’t on the wheel.
Ford’s BlueCruise 1.4 update brings better speed stability through curves and improved lane-centering that should particularly benefit truck owners, reducing the side-to-side wiggle that taller, heavier vehicles experience. The hands-free driving system also gets smarter about handling poor visibility from weather or sun glare, plus it now tells drivers exactly why it’s handing control back – whether it’s blocked sensors, bad weather, or tricky road geometry. Here’s why this update could finally make long highway drives in your F-150 a lot less tiring.
Improvements change the experience
The Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving updates should allow most drivers to enjoy keeping their hands off the wheel for longer intervals than before. Nothing makes a long drive or being stuck in traffic worse than having to put your hands back on the wheel instead of allowing your F-150 Lighting to handle the autonomous driving tasks you want from it. Still, regardless of the updates and improvements, BlueCruise is a semi-autonomous system, and drivers must pay attention.
Not only will the updates to the system extend the intervals drivers can enjoy with their hands off the wheel, but the Ford ADAS system upgrades include better truck lane-centering improvements, which make it much easier for drivers to feel confident when BlueCruise is under control during curve handling. This upgraded Ford pickup truck technology makes for a much better driving experience, especially for drivers who are faced with long drives on a regular basis.
More hands-off driving
How much longer can you keep your hands off the wheel? Part of the Ford BlueCruise 1.4 improvements and updates include hands-off driving improvements to extend the time without your hands on the wheel. This timeframe is now five times longer than that of version 1.2. In addition to the lengthened time without hands on the wheel, the highway driving assistance technology has been improved. This means more stability with the lane centering technology thanks to a new motion controller, which works with the steering system to limit the bouncing between lane markers, ensuring the vehicle stays within the lane lines and centered much better than before. Another improvement that helps the F-150 drive more smoothly around corners is a system that adjusts the speed more naturally.
Lange changes continue
The previous version of this software, BlueCruise 1.3, allowed drivers to engage the turn signals, and the system could then change lanes. Engaging the turn signals is still required by the driver, which is something you’re not faced with in a GM vehicle with the Super Cruise system, which automatically changes lanes and executes passing maneuvers. Both systems are SAE level 2 systems, which require the driver to pay attention and be ready to take control of the vehicle when necessary.
The system gives you more room
Driving next to a large semi-truck can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences on the road, but it doesn’t have to be. Part of the new Ford BlueCruise 1.4 improvements and updates is a response to driving next to semi-trucks. When the system senses a semi next to the F-150, the In-Lane Repositioning system will subtly shift your vehicle within the lane to drive closer to the far line. This gives your vehicle more space while driving next to these vehicles.
Vehicle eligibility
The Ford BlueCruise system hasn’t been rolled out to all Ford vehicles, but this new version will be offered on several models right away. Vehicles with over-the-air update capability will receive updates in the 2022-2024 Ford F-150 Lighting and 2022-2023 F-150 trucks. These software updates should be the first to arrive, and other vehicles and model years will be announced as they become available from Ford.
Models that will ship from the factory with this new system include the 2025 Ford F-150, 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning, 2025 Ford Expedition, and 2025 Lincoln Navigator. You should expect more Ford models to receive this advanced version of BlueCruise in the near future, and it could become a standard part of the top trims of most Ford and Lincoln models by the end of 2026.
Will the Ford BlueCruise 1.4 improvements and updates give your Ford the extra capability and driving qualities you’re looking for? Have you used BlueCruise in the past with issues in curves or on the highway? These new updates could make your long journeys from town to town or across several states much more enjoyable.
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