The Ineos Grenadier features the marketing line “built on purpose” and that is exactly what you get with this new entry to the four wheel drive all terrain workhorse car market. If you are not aware of the back story of how in 2017 billionaire Jim Ratcliffe CEO of Ineos (a multi-national chemical company) and lover of the traditional Land Rover Defender, was so frustrated by the new Defender that he (along with a few mates at the Grenadier pub) put together a quick business plan on how they could build their own truely rugged 4×4.
Combining rugged British spirit and design with German engineering rigour, the Grenadier will be a truly uncompromising 4×4 built from the ground up. Engineered to overcome all conditions, it will provide best-in-class off-road capability, durability, and reliability to those who depend on a vehicle as a working tool, wherever they are in the world.
INEOS Automotive is a subsidiary of INEOS Group www.ineos.com, a petrochemical manufacturer employing 26,000 people in 29 countries. They manufacture paints to plastics, textiles to technology, medicines to mobile phones and have sales of circa $61bn, so they have the right scale to deliver a project like this.
The INEOS Grenadier was crowned ‘4X4 of the Year’ on the 27th April 2023, by a panel of off-road experts at 4X4 Magazine in France. This is an extremely prestigious accolade for vehicle that has only just started rolling off the production line and the recent start of customer deliveries across Europe.
“For the Grenadier to be recognised by passionate off-road experts that have decades of experience is testament to the hard work of the designers, engineers and production team. The Grenadier fills a gap in the market for a true 4X4 that’s inspired by the icons of the past with modern world-class standards of quality, comfort, refinement and technology.”
Lynn Calder, CEO of INEOS Automotive
You might be familiar with the Ineos brand given they sponsor the All Blacks (NZ Rugby), the UCI cycling team of the same name, an Americas Cup Challenger, various european football clubs and more.
Well fast forward to 2023 and now the vehicles are rolling off the highly automated production line and they are getting impressive reviews; not just for their robust good looks, but also for functionality, performance, comfort and for a range of smart features.
The INEOS Grenadier has been designed as a tough and comfortable go-anywhere off-road vehicle. The backbone of the Grenadier is a full box-section ladder frame chassis, with heavy-duty solid beam axles a two-speed transfer case and up to three locking differentials. It is powered by a choice of BMW 3.0-litre turbo-charged inline six-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, which have been extensively revised and recalibrated for this application. Practical features include a 70:30 split rear door, integrated roof bars, pre-wiring for auxiliary lamps and accessories, and a front bumper to sit on. An ‘open-source’ approach to accessories means owners can tailor the vehicle to their specific requirements.
The interior combines utilitarian practicality with the technology and comfort that today’s users expect. Its intuitive and functional layout features physical switches, widely spaced for easy use on the move, a central infotainment screen, and an overhead console for off-road and auxiliary controls. Hose-out rubber flooring, hard-wearing Recaro seats and numerous stowage options mean the Grenadier is ready for anything work and life can throw at it.
The Ineos Grenadier comes in a couple of models the Station Wagon & the Utility Wagon and each variant offers the purchaser the choice to acquire a choice of standard configurations or to design exactly what they are looking for in the vehicle.
The range starts at $98,000 AUD featuring a BMW straight six engine (in petrol or diesel) and BMW drive train, the rest of the vehicle (which looks like the beautiful love child of a Defender and a G Wagon) is all built to spec by robots in the highly automated factory in Hambach France (a state of the art factory purchased from Mercedes Benz).
While we haven’t had the chance to drive one yet, they are expected to be available in Australia in the second half of the year with a range of dealers now set up to take orders and if the reviews are correct it is set to be an instant classic.
For those keen to see an EV version there is a planned smaller nicknamed ‘shorty’ Ineos Grenadier set to launch in 2026 which is described as being a little brother to the current release. Much as the Defender 90 is to the Defender 130. The new vehicle will be a hydrogen fuel cell electric FCEV with the group arguing that battery based EVs are too heavy to be practical for rugged 4x4s.
Ineos has now invested €2 billion ($A3.13b) into its hydrogen production facilities and is driving to push the alternative fuel technology.
“Electric cars are ideal for city centres and short journeys, but hydrogen is much better for longer journeys and heavier loads and that requires immediate investment in hydrogen distribution and hydrogen filling stations”
Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS Chairman
INEOS says the FCEV approach is better suited to the large and heavy off-road vehicle sectors compared to battery-electric vehicles, delivering a significantly higher cruising range.
In case you wanted to see all this world class sports teams that Ineos sponsors – a few gratuitous images below.