The old-school SUV hits the trails in Europe before coming here in 2023.
Startup automakers are always interesting because they're untethered by legacy design and heritage constraints and can create something new. Ineos took a more familiar route with its first vehicle, however, as the Grenadier is the spitting image of a classic Land Rover Defender. Either way, it looks to have legitimate off-road capability, and now the SUV finally has pricing ahead of its European launch next month.
Ineos will open the order books on May 18 for customers in its home country, and pricing for the Grenadier will start at £49,900. Two configurations are available at launch, including a two-seater utility and a five-seat wagon.
The Grenadier Utility Wagon is a stripped-down work truck with only two seats and a large cargo area in the back. The load floor can handle a Euro pallet, and the SUV comes with a cargo load barrier to prevent items from flying into the passenger area. A rear-side window option is available for buyers wanting a little extra light. The Grenadier Station Wagon also comes with a cargo barrier, and provides five seats.
Though Ineos says the SUV is ready for work, the company offers several interior upgrades, including Nappa leather, for a more luxurious feel. Two special editions are also available. The Grenadier Trailmaster gets front and rear locking differentials, BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires, a raised intake, and other rugged off-road kit. The Fieldmaster Edition features 17-inch wheels, leather upholstery, safari windows, and heated front seats.
The Grenadier runs on BMW engines, with gas and diesel mills available. Ineos' gas engine is a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 282 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, while the three-liter diesel makes 245 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Both engines come paired with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. Towing capacity comes in at up to 7,716 pounds.
While it may seem silly to develop a super-bespoke gas-powered luxury SUV at a time when the rest of the world is moving toward electrification in high gear. Ineos has a plan for that - at least conceptually. The company is considering an electric version of the Grenadier, but CEO Dirk Heilmann has expressed doubts about EVs' functionality, noting that the company feels hydrogen is a better way to achieve electrification. "For the Grenadier, hydrogen fuel cell is a better way to fuel an electric vehicle because of its lower weight and greater capacity," he said in February. "The weight of batteries cuts into the payload for the commercial variants. If you want to move loads it's a bit of a problem."
We'll have to wait to see what that statement could mean for future Grenadier models, but the wait for early variants will be at least a few months longer for buyers in the U.S. Ineos is focused on the launch in Europe to start and won't bring the SUV here until 2023 at the earliest.
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