Ford expands hands-free driving system to $40,000 Lincoln Corsair crossover

DETROIT — Ford Motor is expanding the availability of its hands-free road driving strategy to Lincoln's entry-level Corsair crossover, arsenic the automaker broadens the exertion to lower-priced vehicles.

The 2023 Corsair volition beryllium the sixth conveyance successful Ford's lineup to connection the strategy and lone the 2nd Lincoln model, pursuing the brand's flagship Navigator SUV. With the enlargement of the strategy — branded arsenic ActiveGlide for Lincoln and BlueCruise for Ford — the Corsair volition beryllium the lowest-priced conveyance successful the institution to connection the technology.

The Corsair volition beryllium priced starting astatine astir $40,000 to $55,000, which includes a plug-in hybrid electrical model. Ordering for the crossover is unfastened now, with vehicles expected to get successful U.S. showrooms successful aboriginal 2023.

Ford's electric Mustang Mach-E presently offers the exertion and starts astatine astir $50,000, including the option. The Corsair volition connection the strategy connected each 3 of the vehicle's trims, institution officials said.

"It was conscionable a earthy progression with Corsair being the measurement income leader," Dan DeRubeis, Corsair marque manager, told CNBC. "I deliberation that's the attack that we'll proceed to instrumentality with different programs into the future."

ActiveGlide and BlueCruise usage a suite of cameras and sensors successful summation to lidar-mapping for hands-free driving connected much than 130,000 miles of dedicated highways successful North America. It controls the vehicle's velocity and steering, portion besides monitoring the driver's attentiveness done an infrared camera system.

Ford says much than 75,000 customers person enrolled successful the systems, with much than 16 cardinal hands-free driving miles accumulated done the extremity of August.

Ford's systems are akin to General Motors' Super Cruise technology, nevertheless they are not arsenic wide disposable oregon susceptible successful immoderate situations specified arsenic turns, wherever the exertion whitethorn request to manus steering power backmost to the driver.

The systems from GM and Ford some connection less capabilities than Tesla's precocious driver-assistance systems specified arsenic Autopilot oregon "Full-Self Driving," which have been scrutinized for overpromising hands-free functionality and enabling drivers to misuse the systems.

No vehicles connected merchantability contiguous are afloat self-driving. All driver-assist systems inactive necessitate drivers to wage attention.

The summation of ActiveGlide to the Corsair, including lane-changing capabilities, is portion of a big of updates to the conveyance for the 2023 exemplary year. Other changes see interior and exterior plan updates specified arsenic a caller grill and 13.2-inch halfway touchscreen, arsenic good arsenic caller trim and colour options.

Ford's hands-free road strategy is presently offered connected the Lincoln Navigator arsenic good arsenic the Ford F-150 and Lightning pickups, Mustang Mach-E crossover and Expedition SUV.