Vehicle external environment recognition apparatus

A vehicle external environment recognition apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle external environment recognition apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories configured to be coupled to the one or more processors, wherein
• the one or more processors are configured to cooperate with one or more programs included in the one or more memories to
• calculate three-dimensional positions of respective blocks in a captured image,
• group the blocks to put any two or more of the blocks that have the three-dimensional positions differing from each other within a predetermined range in a group and thereby determine three-dimensional objects,
• identify two or more preceding vehicles relative to the vehicle on a basis of the determined three-dimensional objects, the preceding vehicles including a first preceding vehicle, and
• estimate a future position of the first preceding vehicle to track the first preceding vehicle, and
• the one or more processors are configured to determine, upon tracking the first preceding vehicle, whether the first preceding vehicle to track is to be hidden by a second preceding vehicle on a basis of a positional relationship between the preceding vehicles, the second preceding vehicle being one of the preceding vehicles other than the first preceding vehicle.