Ineos Grenadier debuts alongside original Land Rover, G Wagen, Toyota FJ
First public looks at the new Ineos Grenadier, a tough four-wheel drive destined for Australia.
The rugged new Ineos Grenadier 4×4 has made its first public debut, set alongside an original Mercedes G-Wagen, Land Series I, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, and Willys Jeep at London’s Concours of Elegance. All are cars that seem to have inspired the Grenadier’s design in one way or another.
Missing is the Land Rover Defender, interestingly a car that Land Rover believed was more than influential in the Ineos design room, though it recently lost a court case to copyright the Defender’s ‘look’.
Head of Design at Ineos Automotive, Toby Ecuyer said: “At the outset of the Grenadier project, we brought some of the great 4x4s of the past into the studio to look closely at what made them so enduring. And now, it’s fantastic to see Grenadier in the company of these legends.
“You can see common design traits and proportions, and certainly the same clarity of purpose. I think the Grenadier sits very naturally among these 4×4 icons, and if others agree, then we’ve achieved our design objective.”
Unlike the new Land Rover Defender which has left its boxy roots behind with a rounded new-generation (review here), the all-new Ineos Grenadier was designed specifically for practicality and leans toward simple styling. However, it packs a modern drivetrain built by BMW and uses a sophisticated chassis.
Production is beginning this year and the car has been confirmed for Australia and New Zealand. Timing is TBA and pricing, which has not been revealed, is expected to commence from around $65,000 in the UK – local pricing likely to increase on that.
A variety of models will be produced, including the inaugural five-door wagon and a four-door ute.
Ineos Automotive, founded by Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, plans to build a strong presence in the 4×4 market with its Grenadier, a 4×4 named after one of Ratcliffe’s favourite pubs in the UK. The model will conclude a one-million mile testing and publicity test over the next year before its on sale.
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2 Comments
You want to test it in Australia for a million ks give me a ring I am retired and would love to take this thing across the simpson.
Noticeably missing in the lineup: the last of the real Defender 110s. Oh wait a minute there it is, oh no that’s the Grenadier, 110, Grenadier, 110. C’mon guys, love the Grenadier but acknowledge it’s a worthy new Defender. Better in most ways, but visually it’s far beyond a nod to the 110 it is the Defender 110.