Ford to Standardize Advanced Safety Package

Ford Motor Co. says its new Co-Pilot360 safety package will be standard on 91% of its North American vehicle lineup by 2020.

Ford hails the package as the “most advanced standard driver-assist” system on the market. The technology suite will include automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beams and a reverse camera. The latter is mandated on all-new vehicles in the U.S. starting this spring.

A reverse AEB function is expected to be added next year. Premium features, such as adaptive cruise control with lane centering, evasive steering assist and post-collision braking, will be optional upgrades.

Ford will introduce Co-Pilot360 this autumn on the 2019 Edge and Edge ST crossover vehicles. Other cars, SUV/crossovers and trucks will add the package over the next two years.

Ford also plans to offer automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and driver alert systems on its commercial trucks that include E-Series, F-650, F-750 and F59 models.

The safety rollout coincides with Ford’s plans to update three-fourths of its North American lineup and add four all-new trucks and SUVs by 2020. The carmaker announced the plans earlier this week.