Left to right (rear row): Mara Zorvan 1.3 R @AndiD, SUMA M232 Camionero Vanbody @Banana_Soule, Capable Troweler Van @Vento, CYD LT-CV @quiz, Garland B1000 Aerovan @ChemaTheMexican
Left to right (front row): SUMA M232 Camionero @Banana_Soule, Capable Troweler Truck @Vento, Stellar Trekker H’Ute @donutsnail, 1988 Van Zandt Brazos @VanZandt_Breda, Rhania Raider @happyfireballman, Vizzuri Laonda Vantaggio @Aruna, Rhania Raider Hurricane @happyfireballman
The economy of Letara was booming during this decade, so the volume of cargo and goods that needed to be delivered throughout the country increased steadily. However, the choice of vehicles to move goods and make deliveries shrank during this decade, forcing companies and individuals alike to rely on a few workhorses. While this was not necessarily in the favour of the consumer nor the economy at large, it would prove to be a boon for those companies who chose this segment as competition was limited.
On the delivery van side of the segment, the first - and cheapest - vehicle to capitalize on the growing market was the Mara Zorvan 1.3 R. This small panel van was based on a regular car chassis, yet had a deceptively large cargo space. Its small engine was not fancy nor powerful, but was just strong enough to carry a full load of goods at acceptable highway speeds. With decent reliability and fuel consumption figures, owners of a fleet of Maras could not complain, and the divers were happy with how easy it was to drive and cold not complain too much about a lack of comfort. This all sounded very positive for the Mara - but something has to give - and that was safety. The Mara barely cleared the minimum crash safety standards in Letara, so it was best to avoid accidents in the first place. But overall, this no-nonsense budget offer was one of the main staples of intra- and inter-city transport of small goods in Letara in this decade, and considered a large success.
With a wheelbase of just 188 cm, the Capable Troweler Van was even smaller than the Mara (223 cm), and had a matching smaller I3 engine. Due to its smaller size and weaker engine, it could haul less, but had about the same performance as the Mara on the road. The Capable cost nearly $5000 more per unit to purchase than the Mara - the cost was the result of more expensive engineering choices, such as partial aluminium panels, a semi-clad undertray, and more advanced safety options, resulting in better weather resistance, reliability, and even comfort. To offset the purchase price, the upkeep of the Capable was dirt cheap, mostly helped by excellent fuel economy. The Capable was superbly suited for deliveries in the tight inner cities. Speaking of tight, its fuel door was squeezed in behind the driver’s door and was so narrow, that a special funnel had to be used to refuel, since the standard gas station nozzles did not fit. The purchase price was a little off-putting in comparison to the Mara; nevertheless, more forward-thinking businesses who thought about the environment and long-term benefits opted for the Capable as their small delivery vehicle.
Released in the same year, the Garland B1000 Aerovan was the polar opposite of the two smaller vans. It cost more than double the Mara, and its upkeep was more than three times that of the Capable. But then it was a proper size van with a leaf sprung live rear axle that could haul more goods in one go. With its large V8 engine it was really quick too - although it did come at a cost, with the Garland having by far the worst fuel economy in the entire segment. It was quite heavy and hard to drive, but it was safe and relatively comfortable, and considering its added weight it was laudable that it had a shorter stopping distance then both the Mara and Capable, even fully loaded. So it would seem that the Garland would be the best candidate for longer distance cargo transport, and indeed it was mostly used for just that. What held it back from being the delivery vehicle of choice for rural areas was its poor off-road capability; not as much a problem with the improving road network, but still a small hindrance to all-round transport. So the Garland was mostly used by companies delivering high-value, time-sensitive cargo in the more developed areas of the country, but otherwise it was not a very economical option for most companies.
The 1989 SUMA M232 Camionero Vanbody was the next full-size van, and the first with a proper utility partial monocoque chassis. It also had a leaf-sprung solid axle rear, and with a larger box in the rear it had the most cargo capacity of any vans thus far. Its simple yet reliable large I4 engine was slow to get going from a stand-still, resulting in much honking behind the SUMA at traffic lights. But where the Mara and Capable started to struggle at highway speeds, the SUMA kept going and cruised comfortably. Price-wise, the SUMA was cheaper than the Capable to purchase, but nearly doubled its upkeep costs. Due to its weight, the Garland was not the most easy to drive, but it had absolutely superb reliability and was the most off-road capable of all vans; it was quite safe and comfort was not a huge issue for long-haul drivers. So despite the cost, when compared to the Mara and Capable, it was the logical choice for cheap and reliable transport across the country, even to the most remote areas, and was therefore ubiquitous throughout Letara.
The final deliver van on the market was the 1991 CYD LT-CV. Being a new manufacturer in Letara - and only the fifth and final van on the market - made the CYD a highly anticipated vehicle by Letarans. This van was relatively expensive, just shy of the high bar set by Garland. Engineering-wise, it was very similar - monocoque chassis but leaf-sprung solid axle rear making for a decent hybrid between family car and utility vehicle. The CYD had a relatively powerful V8, similar to the Garland, but in contrast had a very sensible speed limiter at 160 km/h, unlike the Garland. The CYD had a large cargo volume and hauling capability, and it had excellent safety ratings too. However, it faltered in some key areas: the engine was poorly set-up with a theoretical top power output some 1200 RPM past the set redline (although the set redline was understandable, as the crank was already RPM stressed); it was quite difficult to handle; was backbreakingly uncomfortable, was incapable of traversing anything other than the absolute best roads, and was relatively unreliable for a utility vehicle. So the eager anticipation of a new manufacturer on the market by the Letaran consumer was unfortunately not rewarded, and the CYD was mostly ignored by delivery companies.
Moving on to pick-up trucks and open bed trucks, the first vehicle on the market was the Capable Troweler Truck. This tiny truck shared its platform, engine, and general engineering with the Capable Troweler Van. Yes, this vehicle also came with its special fuel funnel. It had similar strengths too: good reliability, excellent fuel economy, and a relative ease of operation. Even more, it added a locking differential, off-road skid tray, and all-terrain tires to its standard features, making it quite capable off-road indeed. Just like the van version, its safety rating was not stellar, and its Achilles heel was its tiny size. Indeed, it was quite unsuitable for transporting any bulky items, and was mostly used to transport small quantities of aggregates and other loose material, or smaller items. In general the Troweler Truck didn’t get many sales, but garden centres were pretty happy with them for local delivery of soil and aggregate to suburbanites. Otherwise, most consumers opted to keep driving their older trucks from yesteryear.
It was only three years later, in 1988, when the next truck was released: the Van Zandt Brazos. The Van Zandt brand had some issues during this era in Letara. Their more expensive truck was outright denied to be sold in Letara due to major engineering issues. Although this base version was allowed to be sold, it was only allowed after some dealer modifications were installed: the truck lacked rear reflectors or side indicators, so each unit had to be modified by the dealer before leaving the lot. So, with the added hassle to dealers and consumers alike, the both felt a little discontent right from the get-go. That said, this was finally a normal sized vehicle and much more capable than the… Capable. It had a utility-focused ladder frame and solid axles front and rear, giving it a solid platform. With a fairly capable V6 under the hood, it could haul a fair amount more then the small Capable. However, users didn’t quite like driving it as much as it was more difficult and less comfortable, and owners also complained about a relative lack of reliability. But in the end what won most over was that it was the only new truck on offer that had true hauling capability, so it was either a new Van Zandt, or running their old trucks for another year - and some just could not wait that long.
The following year the SUMA M232 Camionero was released. On the surface this truck was very similar to the Van Zandt: nearly same dimensions and proportions. However, the SUMA was on a light truck monocoque chassis, and had a more consumer grade MacPherson front suspension compared to the Van Zandt’s solid axle. What made people stop and look closer at the SUMA was that even though it looked similar to the Van Zandt, it was only half the price, and promised to be much cheaper to run too. In fact, it would prove to be the cheapest truck option in Letara this decade. So something had to give, right? Well, under the hood it had the same sluggish, but reliable and torquey I4 as the SUMA Van, and overall it was the most reliable truck money could buy. It was pretty decently safe too, and was much easier to drive than the SUMA. But - it was not as good off-road as the others. It could still manage all roads in Letara, even the remote rural roads, but was not really suitable for anything harsher than that. And comfort was quite low, making it a poor choice for really long-haul work. But despite these shortcomings, it was a more than capable truck for most uses, and with the stellar reliability, it became one of the more popular trucks of the decade.
Entering the market in 1992, the Stellar Trekker H’Ute was a bit of an oddball on the market. The basis of the truck was a sports and family car platform, suggesting a sports-truck approach similar to what 1969’s Vausse Sportility attempted to be, but for that the Stellar’s V6 was too meagre. The AWD system, locking diff, off-road skid tray, A/T tires, and lifted suspension hinted at a more off-road approach, but the platform wasn’t quite suitable for this application. That’s not to say that it was bad off-road - it was in fact quite all right for light-moderate off-road use - but it could have been so much more. The Stellar’s strong points were comfort, safety, and drivability, and reliability was quite OK too. It couldn’t haul as much as more dedicated trucks, but it would suit those people just fine who only had occasional small loads to carry. So the Stellar was decidedly rejected by serious truck buyers, but it was embraced by the younger suburban generation just getting their driver’s licenses, who wanted something relatively cheap with a bit of ‘grunt and show’, without having to pay for something truly capable. One peculiarity of the truck must be noted. The truck shipped with a 200 km/h speed limiter, despite only being capable of reaching less than 180 km/h. At first, nobody noticed, but soon kids started modifying their trucks and increasing the power of the V6. This was quite easily done, as it was very mildly tuned from the factory. And soon people started hitting the 200 km/h limiter. At first many were brought into garages with unspecified ‘malfunctions’ at speed… but soon the cause of these ‘malfunctions’ were revealed, and the factory installed speed limiter became a bit of an inside joke among car enthusiasts.
In 1993 the true spiritual successor of the Vausse finally hit the market: the Vizzuri Laonda Vantaggio. This truck too was built on a sports car chassis, but it did not to become something it was not. It also had an AWD system, but a more sporty one focused on delivering the excess power from the large V8 to all four wheels, rather than compensating for one wheel in the air situations. The fully clad undertray and traction control system also hint at a sports-oriented vehicle. The only deviation were the A/T tires fitted to the Vizzuri from the factory, but still, the truck accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds - something only the most expensive sports cars could rival. Price-wise, the Vizzuri was by far the most expensive truck on the market thus far, nearly twice as much as the Stellar, and more than three times as much as the SUMA. But, for this price you did get a premium interior and cassette player, and air suspension making you feel like you were floating on a cloud while driving. Well, only in terms of comfort, because otherwise the car was solidly planted on the road and had excellent handling. It was also one of the safest trucks on the road, and despite being one of the most powerful and outright fastest, it was not too hard on gas either. It was also regarded as one of the best looking cars on the entire market, not just in the utility segment. So needless to say, the Vizzuri Laonda Vantaggio was a complete failure when it came to being a utility truck, and no sane company bought them for commercial use. But each prosperous construction company owner and their cousin had one as their toy truck, because it was so much fun leaving dedicated sports cars in the dust while driving a grunting manly-man’s truck.
The last two trucks on the market were the 1995 Rhania Raider and Rhania Raider Hurricane. The trucks shared the same utility platform with ladder frames and solid axles front and rear, and were by far the largest trucks on the road with a 3.4 m wheelbase, but that’s about where the similarities ended. The Rhania Raider was slightly more expensive than the Van Zandt and Stellar trucks, but quite a bit cheaper than the Vizzuri. Interestingly, it had a V8 with exactly the same dimensions as the Vizzuri, but as a cast iron block compared to the Vizzuri’s alu block, and had much simpler headers and internals. As such, it was quite a bit weaker and less efficient, making the already much heavier truck a lot more sluggish. Sluggish is a relative term, however, because if it wasn’t for the Vizzuri, the performance of the Rhania would be regarded as good - excellent even. Otherwise, this was a pretty straight-forward, no-nonsense truck with full 4x4 capability and manual locker. It had the best hauling capability of any other truck on the market, due to its size it was quite safe in crash tests, and it had just enough comfort so workers would not complain. The drawbacks were that it wasn’t overly reliable and was quite horrid on fuel, so bosses complained too much about upkeep costs. Drivers were not happy either, as it was a real handful to drive with terrible oversteer and overpowered brakes that locked up too easily. So in the end, the Rhania could have been a huge success, but it fell just short of that due to too many small cuts and poor optimization; but simply due to its sheer capability it still found a market in the heavy hauling industry.
The Rhania Raider Hurricane was a completely different beast altogether. It was nearly twice as expensive as the Vizzuri, making it head and shoulders more expensive than any other utility vehicle on the road - indeed it was the only truck with a ‘luxury’ price tag. But for this price you did get a lot: the best of the best when it comes to off-road technology, a segment-leading full cab with four luxury seats and a luxury CD player, and a very powerful turbocharged V8 making the Hurricane the second fastest truck on the roads. Due to the full cab the bed was quite a lot smaller than the base Raider, but this truck was clearly not made for utility use anyway. This truck was purely made for off-road use and prestige. Indeed, it was the most off-road capable vehicle in Letara, and the true off-road buyers would have loved to earn one, if it wasn’t so darn expensive! It was cheaper to modify some cheaper truck or SUV… so the true customers of the Hurricane were the overly rich, who may or may not have appreciated the off-road prowess of the Hurricane, but surely understood the prestige of it. Luckily for Rhania, Letara was flooded by the ‘newly rich’ during the last decade - people with more money than taste or brains - and the Hurricane did sell quite well in this demographic. The buyers did lament the poor reliability and handling of the Hurricane, so very quickly it became known as the ‘poser’ truck, but real ‘car people’ knew better.
”)
