Nissan D21 with a sedan-like conversion

The trend of converting pick-up trucks into some sort of oversized sedan in Brazil, which had its days of glory in Brazil during the '80s as a step ahead of the more utilitarian approach of a simpler double-cab into something more aspirational, didn't fade away completely once imports were resumed in '90. Even though more focused on locally-made models, similar setups were also often applied to imports such as the Nissan D21 Pick-Up. This one, presumably converted by Tropical Cabines, had a similar treatment to what was applied to local full-size Ford and Chevrolet trucks which were the most often converted.

Argentinian-made Chevrolet D-20 with a Brazilian sedan-like conversion cab

Brazil might be a surprising country when it comes to vehicles, mostly due to the previously closed market which led to the development of local makeshift aftermarket approaches to address the lack of options from the major foreign-based automakers such as Chevrolet. Among such offers were some crew-cab conversions for trucks which ended up turning them into something closer to an oversized sedan. One of the most known companies focused on truck-based coachbuilding is Tropical Cabines, which resorts to fiberglass on its conversions such as this Argentinian-made '95 Chevrolet D-20 which had a 3-door cabin and a sedan-like rear trunk instead of the usual open truck bed.

The fact that some restrictions based either on cargo or passenger capacity are enforced against the usage of Diesel engines in Brazil, originally meant as a deterrent to its application on private vehicles in order to relieve the fuel demand for utilitarian purposes, has rendered such conversions quite popular before the imports restricted in '76 were reopened in '90, even though much of its market-share became extinct with the arrival of more conventional crew-cab trucks and the SUV trend.

Brazilian '02 Chevrolet Blazer with underbody CNG kit

Natural gas is quite popular in Brazil as a motor fuel, even though its availability is not nationwide. However, one of the most mentioned side-effects besides occasional decreases on the performance is the space usually taken by the tanks when they're mounted inside the luggage compartment. Some vehicle such as the 2nd-generation Chevrolet S10 Blazer, which by the way was the only generation of this model to be made in Brazil, the fitment of the tanks under the floor is an option much sought after because of its lesser impact over the load volume. However, in the Blazer a removal of the rear sway-bar is required in order to get clearance for a pair of CNG tanks and their braces to fit in the space where the stock spare wheel rack is fitted.