Our Test Drive: INEOS Grenadier Utility Wagon
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- The Grenadier is achingly cool but compromised, being at its best when driven off-road where it excels. Alas, it's not for the school run - as its rivals are better on tarmac. Video: Neil Briscoe
Good review. That centre screen for gauges actually works quite well for the speedometer. It is much closer to your driving eye line than through the steering wheel and human eyes actually refocus better laterally than up and down. Of course HUD better than either.
Tyre temperatures are very important in larger geographies where you drop tyre pressures for e.g. corrugated roads, sand in deserts and beaches, but where you still will travel at higher speed. That temperature allows you to manage that pressure/speed balance.
The comparison with Defender is inevitable but your “for 99% of people” is spot on. Grenadier is not setting out to compete for that 99%. Many manufacturers already crowd that market and the Defender’s repurposing for that market has been very profitable (and pragmatic, by not even trying to provide the robust dependability required by the 1%).
The Grenadier only sets out to get a slice of the 1% and with 35,000 annual capacity that will only be a small slice.
I have owned the five seat utility model since last May. This is a very good and fair review. The build quality will shine through in years to come.
Truly great review. You really should consider doing reviews way more often, you’re a natural and being up excellent points. The last bit especially when comparing the off vs on road capabilities and the last 1%, but the big trade off with the new Defender etc. I thought exactly that. Keep doing this 👍🏼👍🏼 cheers from America
Thanks. A really good and fair review. My Grenadier returns to centre pretty well but I believe there is some variation from early versions to later ones. The brakes on mine are also very good and impressive. Not as good as the brakes were on the Mercedes AMG coupe I traded on it but......... Here in Australia not many people would take the "New Defender" out bush so Grenadier is competing against the 70 series Landcruiser, or Prado/200/300 series Landcruiser wagons. Totally different situation to UK use cases. Landrover sold just under 2,000 Defenders in Australia in 2023 (full year figures not yet available so may increase by 100). Ineos delivered just over 900 direct to customers between July and December 2023. So in all reality that makes them about equal in sales, or maybe Defender just in front. There are 37 used 2023 Defenders for sale and 31 used 2023 Grenadiers for sale. So again about equal. Jeep only sold 600 Wranglers in 2023 and there are 215 used 2023 versions available for sale. Jeep is a mess in Australia and nobody would take one off the tarmac without lots of modifications and a few prayers.
Thanks for review. The only area I would take issue with is interior storage space. Woeful in my opinion. That said, I do love my Grenadier regardless. I also feel that my Grenadier will be around much longer than the more sophisticated Defender.
I don't have a problem with the storage space as we all have different needs. It is a blank canvas for you to add to. I have two phones so I have Quadlock phone mounts stuck to the windscreen. They plug into USB-a & C outlets that I installed on the dash using the factory supplied wiring in the footwell. My safety boots, gloves and high vis shirt are in the spare wheel box. Waterproof heavy duty hi vis gear under rear seat behind the auxiliary battery. Snake bite kit and light rain jacket in compartment near the jack. Spare charging cables and small stuff in the glove box.
I suspect the Ineos will be around in 40 years much like all those original defenders . I doubt they’ll be any current defenders,and if they are they’ll be garage queens.
Ineos has had the fortune to hand pick / partner with the best supplies in each area of the vehicle build process from around the world .As you touched on Magna commissioned to engineer and develop the grenadier , to those that don’t know they engineered and build the G wagon for Merc . I think this is the G wagon that Merc never built . Much like JLR opting to go more road bias and focused on high end electronics rather than mechanical items.lets hope a SWB wagon & pickup follows the upcoming massive Quartermaster.I believe Sr Jim’s brief was to build a car with a minimum 25 year lifespan .it might be a bit pricey but if he’s right it’ll be the cheapest car you’ll ever own if you keep it.
Agreed - all good points.
Currently under review by the Bundeswhr ( German Armed Forces) is the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster Pickup to replace the Ageing Land Rover Defenders which are common in the Armed Forces all over Europe
And to replace the Mercedes G (called Wolf).
The big question is whether this is significantly better than a Ford Ranger, VW Amarok or Toyota HiLux on or off road when on equivalent tyres? To start with there are no compromises in the steering or transmission systems of those pickups and even the four cylinder engines of all these pickups have 205hp and 500Nm at very low revs. The driving comfort and roominess and general experience is far superior for the pickups, certainly the Ford and VW. They all tow up to 3.5 tons with ease but the pickups can carry over 1000kgs compared to only 750kg for Ineos. The Ineos is more compact but even so the pickups have a metre tighter turning circle. Then we get to safety and driver convenience items where there is just no contest. The Ineos is not in the same league there and, in the UK at least and due to cargo capacity and taxation, the named pickups come in at half the Grenadier Quartermaster pickup’s price for business users after claiming the full VAT refund for which none of the Grenadier’s qualify, making the Grenadier more a rich man’s toy rather than a working business machine.
I love the way your plummy English accent keeps slipping into pirate. Great review!
One of the first reviews of the 2 seater, 5 door Commercial "van". Its a pity you fidnt have the opportunity to open the second row doors to show us what it looks like without the seats. Is it flat all the way to the rear door? How do you access the battery or the batteries?
“Mechanical gear lever that doesn’t need another ECU”. Many electronic functions will actually share the same ECU, so since a ECU is already present [you can bet there is for the axle diff locks and ZF automatic] making the range change electronic might even simplify the system. Not that I’m advocating such a thing if it means stopping to change up a range, but LR/RR and Mercedes have long had electric shift available on the go from low to high. With a mechanical system you can’t take for granted that you can shift on the move but with some you can, although it means double-declutching for a seamless experience. [Unless you have an Isuzu Trooper which has synchromesh on the range upshift].
It’s a commercial version with the DVLA , HMRC however do not recognise it as a commercial vehicle , it’s not VAT reclaimable , I had to cancel my order on that basis alone , so I bought 2 defender 110 hardtops instead, ineos have well and truly shot themselves in the foot , have you all noticed defenders are absolutely everywhere at the moment and if you look carefully so many are hard tops . I hope ineos sort this out
The thing you really miss is the defender is a street based vehicle not suited for hard off road use. The ability is maybe 5 percent of a Grenadier. It's limited by independent rear suspension, terrible tires( you are not tossing some springs and 35s on like the Grenadier and even if you did everything would break immediately), hard to find rear locked, missing front one, winch almost impossible to add, expensive plastic instead of metal, center diff that unlocks itself, electronic gizmos instead of real off road gear...I could go on. While the Dender has a far superior btc that is for street cars and light duty off road. After that you'll need to park the defender and jump in the Grenadier
Left foot ramp affecting driver comfort?
great car but that footwell bump on the RH drive car definiely gets in the way of a comfortable drive. A deal breaker for me
Bit late for a grenadier review..its been done already 100’s of times.
Everyone has their point of view, and that is the great thing about this platform, you can peruse as many or few as you like. Despite some that might belly ache about the priveledge...
Who cares when the review comes out.
From Australia and small Northwest town, Landrovers and the likes, full stop is not sort after offroad vehicle. Virtually all the four-wheel drives you will see are Landcruzer's, Nissan Patrols, Prados, Pajero's, Ford Ranger, MUX etc. Even more so the new commers now getting popular are RAMs. To say the least the INEOS will be in the same boat as the Landrover. Purely as it is not supported, is overpriced (there is a big swing against Toyota for this too) does not have sufficient fuel range, is not built for right hand drive.
Can those rear doors open wider? If not, the small access door looks pretty useless. You couldn't even stand square to it really, could you?
In Australia it is normal to reverse into carparks. I find if you open the small door and then open the large door until the tyre hits the wall you have great access into the rear. Obviously not as good as opening them fully but a hell of a lot better than my mate with one large sideways opening door on his Landcruiser.
Tbh, it’s very useful for throwing a gear bag or shopping in there. The big door is heavy and only for opening on special occasions 😅
You lost me starting about air suspension,
Toot Toot
🤣😂
Evidently this guy knows nothing about towing a significant weight or overlanding and why tire pressure and temps are important. Maybe he should do a bit more research to understand a purpose built 4x4.