While almost all car manufacturers have hoisted their own sails in the direction of electromobility, Ineos is taking a different path. Their grenadier wants to be the rugged off-roader that Jaguar Land Rover discontinued a few years ago with its Defender.
The man behind the unusual project is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, adventurer and CEO of a British petrochemical empire. His favorite car was the historic Land Rover Defender, first introduced in 1948. Now Ratcliffe is building the angular Defender of the modern age itself – under its own brand Ineos. The Ineos Grenadier is said to occupy a position that remained largely vacant after the old Land Rover Defender was discontinued, because the former workhorses Land Rover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser and Mercedes G-Class have now drifted into the luxury segment. For this purpose, not only was the new company Ineos Automotive founded as a subsidiary of the Ineos Group, but the 4.93-meter-long Klettermaxe was completely redesigned. The specifications included longevity, rustic off-road capabilities and a casual Brit charm that should not be underestimated, which should bring buyers who cannot currently find a suitable vehicle on the market.
The approximately 130 prototypes to date have been developed and built at Magna Steyr in Graz. Series production is expected to begin with some delay in the summer of 2022 and the first customer vehicles will be delivered in the autumn of next year. The test fleet is on the road worldwide to make the prototypes fit for tough customer use, because one thing is certain: the Ineos Grenadier should afterwards assert itself in real off-road use and not only shine on the boulevards of this world – on the contrary. For this purpose, the test fleets are to drive together 1.8 million real test kilometers in addition to the usual virtual tests and the torture tour on the test bench. One of the benchmarks is the Schöckl, Magna Steyr’s local mountain, on which the Mercedes G-Class also learned to climb from the mid-1970s.
Built for hard work
But even in a quarry, one of the prototypes is already showing what it can do, in addition to being used on average off-road terrain. Loamy ground, water crossings, steep descents in slippery terrain and loose gravel tracks – the pre-production model, a nearly 250 hp six-cylinder diesel engine, masters this problem-free thanks to ground clearance and large ramp and slope angles. The chassis set-up, in particular, is a long way off so that the Grenadier will only come onto the market in more than a year. You can also work with it in series production.
As much Land Rover look as legally possible
Visually, the Ineos Grenadier makes no secret of the fact that it is strongly based on its great role model, the Land Rover Defender. The rounded lights in LED technology are really a bit too lovely for an angular, robust off-roader, but otherwise the Grenadier underlines its rustic charm with all-too-well-known bonuses. The interior is even more rustic than the outside. The center console in particular not only attracts a 12.3-inch touchscreen, but also offers the eye something unusual with its toggle switches and rotary controls. Smart: Auxiliary switches are built in and pre-wired to make it easier to add cable winches, work lights and other accessories. “When we started planning the interior of the Grenadier, we were inspired by where the switches are located for optimal use in modern aircraft, boats and even tractors: the ones that are often needed are within easy reach, the others a little further away, “says design manager Toby Ecuyer,” the Grenadier follows the same basic principle. The layout is functional, logical and user-friendly. It is equipped with everything that is necessary – and nothing else. ” What the Ineos Grenadier lacks, in addition to the central 12.3-inch screen, is a dedicated instrument unit for the driver behind the steering wheel. There are only a few indicator lights here.
The materials of the prototype appear just as robust as the design. With its hard-wearing surface materials, the test car offers a real off-road feeling. In addition, with the Austrian technical dialect, the French Briton offers a rubberized floor in the interior along with drain plugs and wipeable cushions. If necessary, the interior can be sprayed with water. There is a dry storage compartment under the rear bench seat, complemented by a lockable storage box in the center console. If you don’t want hard-wearing fabric chairs, you can also order fine leather.
BMW engines
When the Ineos Grenadier is launched next year, it will be powered by two well-known engines from BMW. The two in-line six-cylinder, one diesel and one gasoline engine, each with a three-liter displacement, produce 183 kW / 249 hp / 550 Nm (diesel) and 211 kW / 285 hp / 450 Nm (gasoline engine), which are powered by an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF transmitted to both axes. In the medium term, however, the Ineos Grenadier will not be able to avoid a version with a plug-in hybrid drive and an electric version. A ground clearance of almost 26 centimeters, barriers and ground reduction also ensure species-appropriate progress away from paved roads. On request, the Grenadier can hook trailers up to 3.5 tons. When it comes to alternative drives, Ineos is a little surprisingly cautious. The potential customers are hardly interested in alternative drive variants, but hope – especially in the USA – for significantly more powerful variants with far more than 350 hp. In terms of price, the Ineos Grenadier, which will also be offered as a commercial vehicle variant, should start at between 55,000 and 60,000 euros
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