Pickup trucks, or mini-trucks, originally created to transport various, primarily agricultural, cargoes, as a result of their development, are now considered vehicles for outdoor activities and travel.
The emergence of mini trucks
The appearance of cars with a pickup truck was at the beginning of the 20th century. It was then that the replacement of part of the passenger compartment of the car with a cargo platform allowed the formation of a mini-truck capable of transporting small lots of various cargoes. This version of the car quickly gained popularity, especially among farmers, as it allowed the transportation of various agricultural goods that did not require protection against natural precipitation and dust on a cargo platform with low sides.
The new vehicle also had other positive qualities, the main of which should include the following:
- comfortable lounge;
- ease of use;
- affordable cost;
- convenient loading (unloading);
- ease of maintenance and repair.
The disadvantages of all models of first-generation pickups include low-power engines and a weak chassis.
The development of the class of pickup cars
The first companies that appreciated the advantages of pickups and their relevance were the American companies Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford. All pickup models, originally produced by these companies, were intended exclusively for transporting goods by farmers and small companies. Therefore, cars had a simple design and low comfort, and mini-trucks were most widely used in America, Canada and Australia.
Pickups were further developed in the mid-50s, when they began to acquire them not for transporting goods, but to emphasize their active lifestyle. This was also facilitated by the appearance of all-wheel drive versions and the installation of powerful power units. Such models were practically not inferior in speed to cars, and in cross-country ability to off-road vehicles. The changes made it possible to increase the share of pickup sales in the North American market in the passenger car segment to almost 20%, while only every sixth mini-truck was used for its intended purpose.
Domestic pickups
Selling pickup models in Russia can be attributed to the least popular vehicles. Moreover, the first version of such domestic cars appeared in 1933. It was a GAZ-4 pickup truck based on the GAZ-A model. A little later, a mini truck based on the M1 subcompact was launched. Further development of the Soviet automobile industry was carried out through the production of specialized cars (dump trucks, tractors, buses, etc.), and the manufacture of pickups almost ceased.
The resumption of production of such cars is connected with the Izhevsk Automobile Plant, which, on the basis of the IL-2715 subcompact, developed and for a long time produced a classic two-door pickup truck in a two-seater version under the index IZH-27151. In total, 130 thousand copies were made.
Since 1991, based on various VAZ models, the VAZINTERSERVICE enterprise has been producing mini-trucks. The most popular among all pickup models was the modification based on the VAZ-2105 subcompact. Currently, only the UAZ company produces a five-seater four-wheel drive pickup truck with a lifting capacity of 0.76 tons.
Pickups from China
Almost all the leading automotive companies from China have pickups in their lineup. Models of Chinese pickups are designed for Asian countries, where the popularity of mini trucks is growing and inexpensive Chinese cars are in certain demand. At the same time, a small number of such cars are supplied to the Russian market, where they occupy the so-called budget segment. In addition to affordable cost, the Chinese pickups can be noted rich equipment and economical operation. The best-selling models are:
- Great Wall Wingle 5.
- Great Wall Wingle 3.
- "Photon Tunland."
- The Derways Shuttle.
- "Huanghai Antelope."
- "ChangFeng Flying."
Pickup Rating
Based on reviews, test drives and other tests, a number of specialized automotive publications in our country compiled ratings of various mini-trucks. Based on the presented results, we can present the following overview of pickup models that are the best in the selected categories in Russia.
By popularity:
- Toyota Hilux.
- UAZ Pickup.
- Mitsubishi L200.
- Volkswagen Amarok.
- SsangYong Aktion Sports.
By price:
- UAZ Pickup.
- Nissan NP300.
- SsangYong Aktion Sports.
- Mitsubishi L200.
- Toyota Hilux.
On the cross:
- UAZ Pickup.
- Mitsubishi L200.
- Ford Ranger
- SsangYong Aktion Sports.
- Toyota Hilux.
Reliability:
- Toyota Hilux.
- Mitsubishi L200.
- Nissan NP300.
- Ford Ranger
- Volkswagen Amarok.
It should be noted that all models of pickups that made it into the top five are presented in several categories at once, which indicates the high potential of these models.