Hardcore Ineos Grenadier 4x4 pricing and specs announced, with order books open from May 18. The starting price is $84,500 plus on-road costs.
Ineos Automotive has delivered on its promised $84,500 (before on-road costs) price point for the new Grenadier 4×4 – a clean-sheet spiritual successor to the original Land Rover Defender.
It has also kept its promises to charge a modest $1000 premium for the five-seat Station Wagon over the two-seater Utility Wagon, and remains committed to helping owners who prefer DIY maintenance.
There will be three spec levels: the base entry point, more hardcore Trailmaster, and more luxurious Fieldmaster. There’s also an options and accessories list as long as your arm.
Order books open from May 18, with Australia currently a top-three global market for reservation holders. When first models arrive in late 2022, they’ll line up against the iconic Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series family, its closest contemporary.
The Grenadier is the brainchild of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the British billionaire engineer and chairman of multinational petrochemical giant Ineos. No expense has been spared on his passion project.
The official story says Ratcliffe was hanging out in London’s Grenadier pub in 2017, bemoaning Land Rover’s decision to kill the old Defender and replace it with the more modern and luxurious new SUV model.
Ineos Automotive Australia will be a factory-backed operation rather than an independent licensed distributor, with Australia considered an important launch market with a large audience of “hand-raising” workers and recreation lovers lining up and engaging already.
The company will support the launch of its rugged 4×4 in Australia with 28 retail sites, many of which will fittingly be based in areas beyond the city limits. Among the launch partners are dealer groups, but also 4×4 specialists and even agricultural equipment dealers.
The company has appointed Justin Hocevar to head up its Asia-Pacific operations, who previously ran Mini Australia and Renault Australia, and was a senior executive at Jaguar Land Rover and BMW Motorrad.
Production Grenadiers are going to be built at an old 210,000 square-metre Mercedes-Benz (Smart) plant in Hambach, France, since purchased by Ineos. Since 2019 the plant has received a claimed $770 million AUD in upgrades, funded by both Mercedes-Benz and Ineos.
The bespoke development vehicles were built by Magna in Austria, and underwent a widely covered and public torture-testing program.
There’s no haggling, with Ineos using an ‘agency model’ with set pricing. The company will control inventory and pricing, and pay dealer partners with a “straight-forward commission”, much in the style of Mercedes-Benz and Honda.
A deposit payment of $5000 – refundable until the vehicle contract is signed – secures a build slot.
The Utility Wagon has a full-height crash barrier and a flat floor that can handle a standard 1200mm x 800mm Euro pallet. The standard rear blank side panel can be replaced with a window for an extra charge.
All prices exclude on-road costs.
Ineos will charge the same for the straight-six diesel and petrol options, both of which have been sourced from BMW and are codenamed B57 (diesel) and B58 (petrol).
Ineos says these engines, in use across BMW sports cars and SUVs since 2016, have been tested in the Grenadier across 1.8 million kilometres and diverse climates. Effort was taken in the tune to unlock torque down as low as possible, the company adds.
The 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel six makes 183kW of power (3250-4200rpm) and 550Nm of torque (1250-3000rpm) and is capable of moving the Grenadier from 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds.
The 3.0-litre single-turbo petrol six makes 210kW of power (4750rpm) and 450Nm of torque (1750-4000rpm) and is capable of moving the Grenadier from 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds.
Both engines come mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission (codenamed 8HP51 for the petrol, 8HP76 for the diesel), with what Ineos calls a new “heavy duty” torque converter.
All Grenadiers come standard with permanent four-wheel drive (4WD), with low-range accessed through a 2.5:1 Tremec two-speed transfer case.
Matching the class-leaders, the Grenadier will also have a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.
The WLTP combined-cycle fuel economy for the diesel is a rated 10.3 to 11.8 litres per 100km, while the petrol uses between 13.2L/100km and 15.3L/100km.
Both engines have stop/start, and the diesel also has a 17L AdBlue tank. The standard fuel tank with both engine options carries 90 litres.
The Grenadier is 4856mm long, 1930mm wide sans mirrors, 2036mm tall, and rides a long 2922mm wheelbase. Payload varies by grade between 810kg and 906kg (the ladder for the base two-seater Utility Wagon).
The starting point is a box-section ladder frame chassis with a 12-year anti-perforation warranty.
There are heavy duty Carraro beam axles at each end, paired to five-link coil suspension supplied by Eibach offering nine degrees of front axle articulation and 12 degrees at the rear, and anti-roll bars for road handling.
It also uses traditional hydraulic power steering (13.5m turning circle).
All-terrain tyres supplied by Bridgestone (Dueler AT 001) and BFGoodrich (AT T/A KO2) depending on spec, and Brembo disc brakes, come standard.
Electromechanical Eaton diff lockers front and rear are also available either as standard or an option depending on grade.
Ground clearance is listed as 264mm, wading depth 800mm, approach angle 36.3 degrees, breakover 28.2 degrees, and departure angle 36.1 degrees. Powder-coated skid plates and a fuel-tank plate are standard.
An Off-Road driving mode disengages parking sensors, seatbelt reminders and start/stop, and from a regulatory standpoint we’d imagine this function is only accessible in low-range. The hill-descent control function can brake each wheel independently.
The warranty cover is five years with unlimited kilometres, and roadside assist.
Ineos Automotive recommends a 12-month servicing interval for the Grenadier, or six-month servicing “for continuous use in tough environments”.
As well as servicing Grenadiers at its retail centres, Ineos has cut a global deal with Bosch Car Service centres to cater to more remote operators. “Flying Spanner” techs based in the Australian HQ are also said to be available, if the service network needs help.
For owners who want to carry out work on their Grenadier themselves, Ineos is taking a novel approach by providing online 3D interactive manuals with support from the technical team at HQ a call or a click away.
“The vehicle has been deliberately designed and engineered to be easy to work on inside and out,” the company claims. It bills its “open source” approach, without trying to “ring fence” buyers into its own ecosystem, as a point-of-difference for enthusiasts.
It’s not yet clear what conditions will be placed on DIY owners, from a warranty perspective.
MORE: Ineos plans to support independent mechanics and the 4×4 aftermarket
There’s no mention of driver-assist active safety features such as autonomous emergency braking or lane-keeping aids, meaning a five-star NCAP or ANCAP rating looks impossible.
Option packages on base models in two- and five-seat forms include the:
Trailmaster grades (over base) gain:
Fieldmaster grades (over base) gain:
This list covers most, but not all, of the vast options and accessories list.
MORE: Ineos Grenadier orders open May, Australian retail sites announced MORE: 2022 Ineos Grenadier review: Prototype ride-along MORE: Ineos Grenadier hardcore 4×4 in Australia next year from $84,500 MORE: Ineos plans to support independent mechanics and the 4×4 aftermarket MORE: How’s the Ineos Grenadier 4×4’s development tracking? MORE: 2022 Ineos Grenadier arrives in Australia
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