Ineos Group is a manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products. But of interest to us is its latest foray into the world of automotive manufacturing. The first product is a retro style off-roader called the Ineos Grenadier.
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Ineos Automotive wants to sell this SUV all over the world, with 200 sales and service points for the July 2022 launch of the Grenadier 4X4.
Ineos Grenadier: A hardcore SUV
So what is the Grenadier all about and why are we interested? Well, it’s an alluring mix of a no compromise off-roader with an uncanny resemblance to the old Land Rover Defender. The company claims it would be a hardcore SUV with a focus on use-ability, toughness and ease-of-use. A hardcore SUV in other words and it also has partnered with some heavyweights in the automotive world.
It is based on a ladder frame chassis from Toyota while the straight six engines are sourced from BMW along with a ZF automatic gearbox. There is a two-speed transfer case and centre, rear, and front locking differentials. It isn’t a luxury SUV with all terrain tyres and steel wheel options. The design is boxy. It’s very much like a modernized Defender wearing a dinner jacket.
A button fest for old-schoolers
All in all it seems a rather interesting mix of British and German engineering while the interior is a button fest for the old-school enthusiasts. Unlike the modern cars with touch-screen everywhere, the Grenadier comes with large buttons with each function written boldly.
You can use these buttons wearing gloves. The interior also has a rubberized flooring and wipe-down upholstery. However Ineos has also thrown in leather, a touch-screen and smart-phone connectivity. There’s an off-road pathfinder navigation system which allows drivers to program, follow and record their route via waypoints, when roads and tracks are left behind.
It’s an alluring mix of a no compromise off-roader with an uncanny resemblance to the old Land Rover Defender.
The uniqueness does not end there as the auxiliary switches have been built in and pre-wired to support the addition of winches, work lights and other accessories. Ineos also claims that most customers will never be further than 50 kilometres away from a workshop.
There is a lot of stress on minimalism and personalization with a lot of electrics being kept out for the sake of simplicity and the fact that the chances of one going wrong in the remote wilderness are slim.
Deliveries of the Grenadier will start from July 2022. You can reserve starting next month. But, should you? It won’t be easy in a market dominated by Jeep, Ford and others but the Grenadier is more of an exclusive boutique off-roader with a design which evokes nostalgia of the right kind.
What we like
It is a back-to-basics off-roader with the right ingredients along with a sense of honesty, which is endearing.
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What we don’t like
In a market already dominated with capable off-roaders it will not be easy for this new brand. Plus a manual stick shift would appeal more to off-road fans.
Overall
An off-roader which stands out from the crowd due to its simplicity along with dripping with a sense of purpose somewhat alien in this world of new-age SUVs.
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
