Autoblog

Just as Ford's F150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for decades, their E-Series (née Econoline) vans have also been sales champs since before the dawn of the 1980s. A strong presence in the trades delivers forty percent of the full-size van market to the E-Series. Ford's adding some new features and an upgraded interior to the E-Series for 2009 to help it continue to earn its keep. The full-sizers got an exterior nip and tuck last year, so the biggest body changes this year are rear doors that open wider.

Ford's Work Solutions system is a natural addition, and it makes just as much sense in the work van as it does in a pickup. The biggest news is a revised instrument panel with -- bar the door -- four auxiliary switches. Actually, not having a mish-mash of toggles and rockers drilled through the dash face for aftermarket gear is a nice touch. The panel itself has an uncluttered, no-nonsense layout, though the vents look like they could chew off errant fingers. Also on the new dash is a navigation system, which should lessen the "I'm lost, so I'm going to lunch" calls from contractors. American cargo vans are unsung utilitarian heroes, and Ford doesn't want its class leadership to slip away. Press release after the jump

Gallery: 2009 Ford E-Series

[Source: Ford]

UPDATE: Video of the Alton F-650 is available after the jump

click above for high-res gallery of the Alton F-650 XUV

We've seen some outrageous F-650-based vehicles like this before (the DeBerti for one), but for some reason, the Alton F-650 XUV jumped out at us at the Chicago Auto Show. Perhaps we were already focused on Ford's Work Solutions trucks in the vicinity, but this insane beast just put our DSLRs on autopilot. The F-650-based XUV was built by Alton Manufacturing and carries a GVWR of 25,999 lbs. That makes the 660 ft-lbs of torque generated by its 7.2L Caterpillar engine seem paltry. Besides the big-rig-meets-Excursion bodywork, your nearly $200,000 expenditure for this XUV will get you hardwood floors, custom captains chairs, a 42-speaker sound system, two drop-down 16-inch TVs plus a 42-inch plasma, four computer workstations, plus a train horn. Oh, you'll also get bragging rights for the biggest, baddest truck in 99% of the world's neighborhoods.

click above for more high-res images of the Ford Work Solutions package

Ford is not shy about reminding the world of the enormous number of full-size trucks that it sells every year. A large portion of those trucks get sold to people who use them to earn their living. Contractors, plumbers, electricians, installers, landscapers and more use their trucks and vans as mobile offices, workshops and tool cribs. With the market for this class of vehicles getting increasingly competitive, thanks to new models from Chrysler and entries from Toyota and to a lesser degree Nissan, Ford knows it needs to provide something that appeals to those core commercial customers. In mid-2006, the brand that Henry built talked to its customers and determined that owners would appreciate new features that would make their more productive in new ways. So they worked with partners like Master Lock, DeWalt and Sprint to create a package called Work Solutions that will be available on 2009 F-150 and Super-Duty pickups and E-Series vans. Basically a fully functional in-dash computer with lots of gadgetry built in, the Work Solutions package is a technological tour de force for commercial customers. Read more about it after the jump.

[Source: Ford]