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

Ford's trucks learned a caller skill: towing connected the road (sometimes).

For 2027, the F-150 — America's best-selling conveyance — will present a type of its BlueCruise hands-free driver-assistance strategy that will beryllium disposable while towing a boat, camper, aliases trailer connected compatible highways, executives told Business Insider.

It is not afloat self-driving. Drivers must support their eyes connected the roadworthy and beryllium prepared to return over, but tin region their hands from the steering instrumentality and feet from the pedals.

The update helps bring Ford up to velocity pinch its cross-town Detroit rival, General Motors, which added trailering to its hands-off road strategy successful 2022. Tesla's FSD (Supervised) disables erstwhile a trailer is detected.

For Ford, BlueCruise pinch Towing will beryllium disposable connected much than 130,000 miles of prequalified divided highways, which Ford calls Blue Zones. It will beryllium included connected each BlueCruise-equipped 2027 F-150, opening pinch the XLT trim.

It's constricted by a trailer's type, size, weight, loading, and configuration.

"76% of our [F-150] customers are towing," Greg Christensen, Ford's wide head of North American trucks, said. "We cognize that our usage of BlueCruise hands-free driving is increasing, and we're offering customers options to really thrust that."

Ford says it tested 800 trailer setups

The automaker says it tested the assisted towing features complete thousands of miles of US roads. Christensen added that the automaker utilized its Dynamic Driving Simulator to trial astir 800 different trailer configurations.

The motortruck monitors factors including trailer sway, tyre pressure, and speed, and will fastener the driver retired of definite conditions that persist.

Ford says it's the latest illustration of really it's steadily making towing easier pinch a bid of package updates. In 2023, the institution launched its Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which semi-autonomously lines up a truck's hitch shot straight pinch a trailer coupler. Dan Barbossa, a institution spokesperson, joked that the towing strategy has helped "save truthful galore marriages."

Customers pinch an progressive BlueCruise subscription will not person to salary an further interest to usage the towing feature, Ford said.

A cheaper measurement into the Raptor and Tremor

The 2027 F-150 besides adds lower-priced versions of the Raptor and Tremor, 2 celebrated off-road models whose prices person climbed alongside the broader motortruck market.

The F-150 Raptor Low will costs astir $4,000 little than the comparable 2026 model, while the Tremor Low will beryllium astir $5,300 less, Barbossa told Business Insider.

To get the little pricing, customers will person to opportunity goodbye to immoderate luxury hardware. The Raptor Low drops features including a head-up display, fog lamps, a 2kW Pro Power Onboard outlet, a powerfulness rider seat, under-seat storage, a Mobile Office package, and a 14-speaker B&O sound system. It alternatively gets an eight-speaker strategy and a manual tilt steering column.

The Tremor Low starts pinch the much basal F-150 STX and loses dual-zone ambiance control, heated beforehand seats, off-road moving boards, and a powerfulness sliding rear window.

The V8 returns, and the F-150 gets Carhartt gear

Ford is besides replacing the F-150's modular 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 pinch a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. The caller motor makes 325 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Ford says its cardinal betterment is stronger torque transportation successful normal driving.

The 5.0-liter V8 will return to King Ranch and Platinum models for the first clip since 2023.

Elsewhere, redesigned grilles and wheels are coming to XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum trims.

Finally, a caller Carhartt package brings workwear-inspired styling and durable interior touches to an XLT Crew Cab 4x4. The F-150 Carhartt starts astatine $62,660 earlier destination charges. It's the latest collaboration betwixt the 2 bequest American brands.

Ford says the 2027 F-150 will get astatine dealerships successful the first 4th of adjacent year.