This paper proposes a hierarchical cruise control strategy that can adapt to urban traffic scenarios. Firstly, the perception layer defines a target selection strategy by using a novel trapezoidal dangerous area. Then, the upper controller contains speed follow mode and distance follow mode. An improved PI mode with integral separation and saturation terms is developed to achieve the desired speed following control, a safe distance mode via variable time headway is developed to facilitate the safe and smooth distance following control. The lower controller is designed based on feedforward and PI feedback. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the strategy can effectively select suitable target vehicles in complex urban scenarios. With the improved safe distance model and the third-order Bessel actuator response delay model, the strategy exhibits adaptability and stability. This study offers valuable suggestions and guidance for designing and applying the cruise control strategy for urban traffic scenarios.