A method for controlling operation of a motor vehicle includes an electronic controller receiving, e.g., from a vehicle-mounted sensor array, sensor data with dynamics information for a target vehicle and, using the received sensor data, predicting a lane assignment for the target vehicle on a road segment proximate the host vehicle. The electronic controller also receives map data with roadway information for the road segment; the controller fuses the sensor and map data to construct a polynomial overlay for a host lane of the road segment across which travels the host vehicle. A piecewise linearized road map of the host lane is constructed and combined with the predicted lane assignment and polynomial overlay to calculate a lane assignment for the target vehicle. The controller then transmits one or more command signals to a resident vehicle system to execute one or more control operations using the target vehicle's calculated lane assignment.