The editors at Kelley Blue Book (KBB) announced Dec. 10 the 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck has been named 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle. The editors praise the 2009 Ford F-150 for being more powerful, efficient, refined and tech-laden than its predecessor. Five years ago, Ford's flagship pickup won the first Best Redesigned Vehicle accolade from KBB and this year, it becomes the first repeat winner.

The Best Redesigned Vehicle accolade honors the vehicle that best demonstrates improvement and superiority relative to its predecessor and competitors. In judging, editors consider exterior and interior styling, technology, comfort and convenience features, performance/capability, driving dynamics, safety, fuel economy, overall refinement and, of course, value.

Dozens of vehicles were redesigned for the 2009 model-year. In addition to the award-winning 2009 Ford F-150, rounding out the top 10 finalists for kbb.com's 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle were (in alphabetical order) the Acura TL, Acura TSX, Audi A4, Dodge Ram, Honda Fit, Mazda6, Nissan Maxima, Nissan Murano and Subaru Forester.

This the third time in six years that a Ford model has taken the Best Redesigned Vehicle title, and it also marks the second time the F-150 has taken top honors.

Vehicles usually are redesigned every four to five years, although some brands wait longer to redesign their models. For more information about the 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle and the top 10 finalists, visit www.kbb.com/redesign09.