A method to establish a lane-change maneuver, the method includes the steps of calculating a plurality of anchor points along a projected vehicle route and, based on the plurality of anchor points, generating a lane-change maneuver trajectory. The plurality of anchor points can include: a first anchor point based on time, a second anchor point where the vehicle would cross a lane boundary from a host lane to a target lane, and a third anchor point where counter steering torque would be applied to center the vehicle in the target lane.