Ford is bringing hands-free driving to people towing boats and campers

Ford says its 2027 F-150 can take over highway driving responsibilities, even with a boat in tow. Ford/Business Insider Look, Mom, no hands (and a big boat) on the highway! Ford is also trimming thousands off the base Raptor and Tremor trims by cutting luxury features. The refresh also brings the V8 back to Ford's King Ranch and Platinum trucks. Ford's trucks learned a new skill: towing on the highway (sometimes). For 2027, the F-150 — America's best-selling vehicle — will introduce a version of its BlueCruise hands-free driver-assistance system that will be available while towing a boat, camper, or trailer on compatible highways, executives told Business Insider. It is not fully self-driving. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road and be prepared to take over, but can remove their hands from the steering wheel and feet from the pedals. The update helps bring Ford up to speed with its cross-town Detroit rival, General Motors, which added trailering to its hands-off highway system in 2022. Tesla's FSD (Supervised) disables when a trailer is detected. For Ford, BlueCruise with Towing will be available on more than 130,000 miles of prequalified divided highways, which Ford calls Blue Zones. It will be included on every BlueCruise-equipped 2027 F-150, beginning with the XLT trim. It's limited by a trailer's type, size, weight, loading, and configuration. "76% of our [F-150] customers are towing," Greg Christensen, Ford's general manager of North American trucks, said. "We know that our usage of BlueCruise hands-free driving is increasing, and we're offering customers options to really drive that." Ford says it tested 800 trailer setups Ford told Business Insider that highway assist trailering will require a little setup. Ford The automaker says it tested the assisted towing features over thousands of miles of US roads. Christensen added that the automaker used its Dynamic Driving Simulator to test roughly 800 different trailer configurations. The truck monitors factors including trailer sway, tire pressure, and speed, and will lock the driver out of certain conditions that persist. Ford says it's the latest example of how it's steadily making towing easier with a series of software updates. In 2023, the company launched its Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which semi-autonomously lines up a truck's hitch ball directly with a trailer coupler. Dan Barbossa, a company spokesperson, joked that the towing system has helped "save so many marriages." Customers with an active BlueCruise subscription will not have to pay an additional fee to use the towing feature, Ford said. A cheaper way into the Raptor and Tremor Ford is removing some of the luxe goodies from its performance F-150s to lower the starting prices. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images The 2027 F-150 also adds lower-priced versions of the Raptor and Tremor, two popular off-road models whose prices have climbed alongside the broader truck market. The F-150 Raptor Low will cost about $4,000 less than the comparable 2026 model, while the Tremor Low will be about $5,300 less, Barbossa told Business Insider. To get the lower pricing, customers will have to say goodbye to some luxury hardware. The Raptor Low drops features including a head-up display, fog lamps, a 2kW Pro Power Onboard outlet, a power passenger seat, under-seat storage, a Mobile Office package, and a 14-speaker B&O sound system. It instead gets an eight-speaker system and a manual tilt steering column. The Tremor Low starts with the more basic F-150 STX and loses dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, off-road running boards, and a power sliding rear window. The V8 returns, and the F-150 gets Carhartt gear Ford extends its partnership with Carhartt with an F-150 trim for 2027. Ford Ford is also replacing the F-150's standard 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. The new engine makes 325 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Ford says its key improvement is stronger torque delivery in normal driving. The 5.0-liter V8 will return to King Ranch and Platinum models for the first time since 2023. Elsewhere, redesigned grilles and wheels are coming to XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum trims. Finally, a new Carhartt package brings workwear-inspired styling and durable interior touches to an XLT Crew Cab 4x4. The F-150 Carhartt starts at $62,660 before destination charges. It's the latest collaboration between the two legacy American brands. Ford says the 2027 F-150 will arrive at dealerships in the first quarter of next year. Read the original article on Business Insider

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