2015 Chevrolet City Express van bows in Chicago

Chevy introduced the 2015 City Express urban work van at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday. The boxy, panel-sided van will do battle with Ford's Transit Connect in the U.S. and Canada when it hits dealerships in the fall.

The City Express will offer 122.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which trumps the short-wheelbase version of the Transit Connect, but is eclipsed by the longer version by about 7 cubic feet. Payload capacity of the Express is rated at 1,500 pounds.

The interior of the Express measures 54 inches from wall to wall. Chevy notes that it's more than enough to accommodate a standard-sized pallet, which is 40-by-48 inches. From the rear doors to the front seats, there is 6 feet, 10 inches of space, which isn't enough for a sheet of plywood laying flat, but that length grows to 9 feet, 8 inches with the passenger seat folded.

Other features include a center console designed to fit a 9-by-12-inch standard-size file folder, sliding doors on both sides, floor-mounted rings for tying down cargo, 12-volt power outlet on the LS trim and a bunch of other features for carrying cargo.

The Express uses Chevy's DOHC 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 131 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque. Ford, on the other hand, uses either a 2.5-liter or a 1.6-liter Ecoboost, both of which make more hp, but are likely to deliver worse fuel economy. EPA numbers haven't been released for either van yet, so we'll have to wait to see how they stack up.

By Jake Lingeman