VEHICLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTONOMOUS ROUTE FOLLOWING

Vehicles and related systems and methods are provided for controlling a vehicle in an autonomous operating mode. One method involves obtaining navigation information for a route for the vehicle from a navigation system, transforming the navigation information into data points defining an upcoming trajectory of the route, mapping the data points to a corresponding mapped set of lane segments encompassing one or more of the data points, assigning lane preference indicia to the mapped set of lane segments, and autonomously operating one or more actuators onboard the vehicle to laterally maneuver the vehicle into one or more lanes at respective longitudinal positions along the route corresponding to one or more lane segments of the mapped set of lane segments in a manner that is influenced by the lane preference indicia assigned to the lane segments.