LOCH LOMOND, Scotland — We weren’t around to witness its invention, but we venture to guess that a tool like the ax was invented very early in human history. Sharp edge, brute force, blammo. While Landrover may have been predicted by semen army The jeep, like the ax, is also a simple tool designed for one purpose: mastering the terrain. Fast-forward a lifetime or so and you’ll meet us where we are today when we open the driver’s door of the Ineos Grenadier.
It’s hard not to mention Land Rover Defender when describing the Ineos Grenadier, but the new machine is definitely not a copy of the old one. If you were asked to draw a boxy, off-road vehicle, chances are you would draw something shaped along the same lines, but you can think of any number of classics. . Jeep carLandie, Mercedes-Benz or Toyota design.
Ineos was founded by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in 1992 and is today the fourth largest chemical company in the world. Ineos Automotive was founded in 2017 with the aim of building an all-terrain vehicle modeled after the deceased Land Rover Defender (original, not reincarnated).
With its fixed four-wheel drive system, three available differentials, a two-speed transmission, sturdy front and rear axles, and a growling engine, the Grenadier doesn’t just look like legendary off-roaders. there, but also a legendary off-road vehicle. roads like them. More traditional details include a full ladder frame and an old-fashioned recirculating ball control box. But dismissing Ineos Grenadier as merely outdated is not suitable for today’s roads nor is it correct. Ineos gets his engine from BMW car — the U.S. model will only be sold with the 3.0-liter inline-six that runs on the B58 gasoline, producing approximately 283(ish) horsepower and 330(ish) pound-feet of torque — box eight-speed automatic from ZF, transmission from Tremec, shaft from Carraro, differential lock from Eaton, progressive-ratio springs from Eibach and brake from Brembo. It all adds up to a suitably solid foundation, a modernity based on the enduring composition of history.
In terrain, the Ineos Grenadier is capable of overcoming any terrain that a four-wheeler can overcome. We directed its stout front end at all the usual suspects in one leg of the big race. explore through the rugged countryside of Scotland: the stony mountains, the jagged and muddy peaks, the creeks of the river, the sandy shores of a frozen lake. There’s an overly complicated process to lock the differential and activate Off-Road mode, but once it’s done, the Grenadier’s abilities are as expected and are certainly comparable to any terrain symbol. rest of the world, including icons like Jeep and LandRover.
The Grenadier boasts a ground clearance of 10.4 inches, an approach angle of 35.5 degrees and an exit angle of 36.1. The breakout point is listed at 28.2 degrees, and Ineos says the Grenadier can tilt sideways up to 45 degrees. A five-link suspension setup and solid front and rear axles deliver 9 degrees of articulation at the front and 12 degrees at the rear, and total wheel travel is listed as 23 inches. . These numbers clearly outperform Mercedes G 550. Compared to one Unlimited Jeep Wrangler The Rubicon, Grenadier lacks approach and departure angles, and has about half an inch less ground clearance, but slightly better ground clearance.
The motor’s torque curve is flat-tuned, with peaks achieved between 1,750 and 4,000 rpm. The low 2.5:1 range translates to a crawl rate of 53.81 or 1.26 mph which is very manageable. On the other side of the hill, Downhill Assist automatically keeps the Grenadier at a set speed as low as 2 mph, selectable via the cruise control buttons.
The Grenadier is larger in every exterior dimension than the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, but its 115.0-inch wheelbase is 3.4 inches shorter than the Jeep’s, and its high seating position and flat fenders make it easy to place 265/ 70R17 or optionally 255/ Front tire 70R18 is right where you want it. Two tires are offered: the custom Bridgestone Dueler A/T offers good street/dirt compromise while the BFGoodrich K02 would be the more natural choice given their solid reputation among riders Road.
Globally, the Grenadier comes in three trim levels, all using the same powertrain. There’s a base model that comes standard with a central locking differential, an off-road-focused Trailmaster with all the standard off-road kit (including a snorkel air intake) and a luxury Fieldmaster model. More importantly, there are standard heated seats upholstered in gray or black leather. We’re still not sure what will become standard or optional for the US market, but we expect the Belstaff brand to remain intact (Ineos owns the famous British clothing manufacturer). ).
While we love driving through the marshes, the reality is that there will be many more miles to go under the tires of nearly any Grenadier on the runway. Fortunately, this off-road vehicle is also quite adept at driving on the road. The old-fashioned recirculation ball steering has a slow ratio with 3.85 lock-to-lock, and it doesn’t want to come back to center easily at low speeds naturally. The steering becomes more precise and has a bit of feel as speeds increase, and the chassis is fun and communicative enough that driving on twisty roads at high speeds isn’t a chore.
Aside from the lack of steering feel at low speeds and considering the Grenadier’s mission statement, we don’t have many other complaints. The suspension is consistent and the engine offers a fair amount of purr. While a claimed 0-60 time of a few ticks over the last 8 seconds won’t win many drag races — especially in line with a similar boxer wearing a G — on In fact, it’s fast enough to have a solid ute. we do not have EPA fuel economy ratings, but we expect something in the 20 mpg ballpark in mixed driving.
The interior of the Grenadier is a compromise between utility, function and quiet luxury. Fabric seats sourced from Recaro are standard along with rubber floor surfaces, but leather and carpeting can be optional. The interior is surprisingly quiet, with engine, road and wind noise low enough to carry on an easy conversation. Credits BMW’s inherently smooth inline six and ZF’s continuously variable automatic transmission to much of the Grenadier’s refinement. Drivers of right-drive Grenadier models face an unfortunate floor penetration where their left foot will naturally sit down, but no such problem exists on left-drive models for America.
There is no gauge cluster directly in front of the driver, just some warning lights and indicator lights. Instead, nearly all information is provided on the centrally located 12.3-inch screen. The speedometer and all other indicators are well laid out on the display, although we always prefer to have the actual dials right in front of the driver. The infotainment system features a custom interface designed by Ineos, and various screens and settings can be accessed or scrolled through either the touch panel itself or the iDrive-esque rotary controller. The actual dials and buttons below the display for climate and audio controls are a welcome sight, and the layout and size mean they’re easy to operate.
Keep moving up to the roof and you’ll find another large control panel containing all of the terrain-specific switches and switches. At first glance, it seems complicated, and the combination of button press and toggle procedures is unnecessary, but a few off-road trips will make them second nature.
A terrain kink quickly became apparent during the Grenadier test run. Instead of fitting a separate sensor inside the shaft to confirm if it’s locked, the engineers decided to instead make the detection using existing wheel speed sensors. That means the car’s electronic brain doesn’t know you’ve unlocked the differential until it detects a wheel slip. Usually that’s not a big deal, but some terrain settings are only accessible when differentially locked or unlocked, which sometimes results in the game throttling back and forth between mud and rocks so that the system confirm its status. We hope software updates can fix some of these early issues.
We especially like Grenadier’s option The hunt The windows are located above the driver and passenger seats. While not as airy as a arranger or BroncoThe top is fully removable, a latching system easily turns the hatches on or off and one more press pushes them out completely. We wanted more classic-looking roof windows along the sides, but instead, Ineos chose to pack different mounting points along the roof. The rear cargo area is accessible from a pair of swing doors, the smaller one-third the optional width holding the roof steps. An unusual feature are the optional attachment bands along the vehicle’s belt that can be fitted with any type after-sales accessories such as extra fuel cans and flip-down tables.
We expect a large number of potential customers for this type of vehicle, as long as it is reasonably priced. We’ll have to wait a few more months before Ineos is ready to reveal pricing and availability plans for the US market, so unfortunately we have to reserve our final verdict on that topic. But we were intrigued by the car built by the coffins at Ineos (with a lot of welcome support from Magna-Steyr). Grenadier will be like home everywhere, from atop the rocks of Moab to wheel arches buried in mud in the Southern Swamp, with a few stops in Hollywood and Miami along the way.
The Ineos Grenadier is an old car designed to appeal to buyers who have grown tired of the complexities of modern all-terrain vehicles. You could say the Grenadier operates in the space between the old Land Rover Defender and the new Land Rover Defender. It boasts secure modern essentials, Reliable car must-haves in today’s world while avoiding anything deemed unnecessary, including height-adjustable suspension, freewheeling bars, or terrain management software. In other words, it’s a wooden-handled ax in a world full of shiny chainsaws. Sometimes, violence is the way to go.
