The Ford Ranger will soon be capable of hands-free driving in the UK, as Ford confirms its BlueCruise technology will roll out to the pick-up from spring 2026.
The update marks the first time the system will be available on a commercial vehicle in Europe, with the Ranger PHEV joining the Puma, Puma Gen-E, and Kuga models in the next expansion of Ford’s advanced driver assistance features.
BlueCruise, which was first launched on the Mustang Mach-E in 2023, allows “hands-off, eyes-on” driving on approved motorway sections known as Blue Zones.
Using a network of radars, sensors, and cameras, the system automatically controls steering, acceleration, braking, and lane positioning.
The technology has already been approved for use across 16 European countries, covering more than 135,000 km (84,000 miles) of pre-mapped Blue Zones. Drivers could, for example, travel from Stockholm to Rome without touching the steering wheel for up to 25 hours of the journey.
Ford says the Ranger Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) will be the first of the Ford commercial range to benefit from BlueCruise, giving fleet and trade users the same hands-free comfort already enjoyed by passenger car customers.
Torsten Wey, manager of ADAS features and software at Ford in Europe, said: “We’re committed to putting cutting-edge technology in the hands of more drivers. With BlueCruise now available on five vehicle lines in Europe, we’re helping to make hands-free highway driving accessible to a wider array of customers.”
Globally, more than one million Ford vehicles equipped with BlueCruise have already logged over 550 million miles of hands-free driving.
The Ranger PHEV is already on sale and combines a petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver more than 25 miles of pure electric range.
New vehicles produced after Spring 2026 will be equipped with the hardware and software needed to use BlueCruise in the UK
BlueCruise will be available on selected Puma, Puma Gen-E, Kuga, and Ranger PHEV models, as well as the Mustang Mach-E which is already enabled.
Yes, BlueCruise is a "hands-off, eyes-on" system, it handles steering and speed but drivers must remain attentive to the road and be prepared to take control.
Blue Zones are pre-mapped, approved sections of highways where BlueCruise can be activated for hands-free driving.
