The Ineos Grenadier has been around for a while but it still turns heads.
Image: Supplied
The Ineos Grenadier has been with us for a while now but it still turns heads wherever it goes, especially in the off-road community and more so among those that have a soft spot for the original Land Rover Defender.
How did it come about?
We know that billionaire and chairperson of multi-national chemical company, Ineos, Sir Jim Ratcliff, expressed an interest in buying the tooling for the Defender when JLR stopped production, which they declined in no uncertain terms.
So he and a couple of mates, while sipping on some beers at the Grenadier pub in London, drew a rough design of what he wanted on a napkin and from there the Grenadier was born.
That napkin is now framed and has pride of place in the pub.
He has spent a good few billion dollars in the process but he’s built one of the most rugged and capable 4x4s on the market.
We were fortunate enough to be at the launch in Scotland in 2022 and it’s taken a while to get behind the wheel on local soil, but when we did, it was the Trailmaster, aimed at the more serious off-roader.
The original brief was to create a vehicle that’s durable, reliable and has extremely capable off-road abilities.
The team then set about sourcing components from the world’s best including BMW for the engines, ZF for gearboxes, Magna Steyr for design and engineering, Bosch, Tremec for the transfer case and the Carraro Group for the car’s live axles.
Exterior
With a combination of Defender and Mercedes G-Wagon looks, the Grenadier sports no sleek SUV lines or pretty curves, it’s a statement rather than a suggestion of adventure.
With mounting attachments fixed to the doors, grab handles in the roof and pre-wired plugs for lights and other outside accessories, the Trailmaster really is trail ready.
That’s also underscored by the old-fashioned short stick on the floor to shift between 4h, 4L and central diff-lock and the buttons mounted in the roof to activate the front and rear diff-locks.
The Ineos Grenadier is purpose built to go anywhere.
Image: Supplied
Interior
There’s also something very satisfying about climbing into the Grenadier.
We’ve become so used to smooth and minimalistic digital interiors with enormous screens that seeing an interior that’s littered with switches and toggles is a delight for analogue affectionados.
It looks a bit like a helicopter’s interior which adds an extra bit of swagger.
It also means that there’s less wiring and fewer motherboards to go wrong or that things can be MacGyvered in the bush, should there be a problem.
They were designed to be operated with gloves on so there’s plenty of space and no likelihood of pressing the wrong button.
The volume and temperature control buttons did feel a little flimsy but I haven’t picked up any issues on any of the Grenadier owners forums.
As you would expect, the seating position in the super-comfortable Recaro seats is commanding, providing a clear view of things ahead including cyclists.
To disperse the lycra-clad crowds there is a red “toot” button on the steering wheel that has a softer sound than the regular hooter.
There’s also no traditional instrument cluster, only a screen with warning lights.
Speedometer, revs, fuel gauge and the rest of the driving information is displayed on the central infotainment touchscreen.
It’s crisp and clear and responds quickly to inputs and it’s filled with useful information like consumption, system readouts, a compass with an altimeter and also its own GPS system, called Pathfinder.
Because it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, digital maps and apps like Waze can still be used.
There’s ample space for rear passengers and the rear load bin has a hardy floor and handy rings to keep things tied in place.
There’s no traditional instrument cluster, only a screen with warning lights.
Image: Supplied
Driving the Ineos Grenadier
The Trailmaster we had on test was the diesel version fitted with BMW’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine with 182kW and 550Nm coupled to said eight-speed ZF gearbox powering all four corners.
The software has been tweaked and calibrated to provide grunt lower down in the rev-range for optimal off-road driving.
Not that it’s a complete slouch on the black stuff but its forte is off the beaten track, as you would understand.
The turning circle is very wide so you won’t be slipping into tight parking bays easily and there’s no return to centre once you’re maneuvering, which requires you to manhandle the steering wheel.
The steering is light, though, with not much feedback as a result of its traditional rack-and-pinion set-up but I had no problem with it and certainly it doesn’t warrant any gripes.
Talking of gripes, I’ve watched and read a few reviews and customer comments of the right-hand drive versions with its large bulge in the footwell.
One even said that it was the only reason he wouldn’t buy it.
Sure, it is prominent, but you quickly get used to it and adjust your position accordingly, and compared to say, the old Defender and even the new Toyota Land Cruiser 79, it’s positively luxurious.
It hustles along nicely and, for me at least, the big BF Goodridge all terrain tyres provided a soft reassuring hum through the well insulated cabin and I could easily spend hours in it.
Taking it off-road
But Sir Jim didn’t design the Grenadier exclusively for its on-road prowess so there will always be a compromise, especially with a ladder-frame chassis.
For the off-road anoraks the numbers make for interesting reading.
It has a Eibach coil springs five-link front and rear suspension setup, solid front axle, 264mm of ground clearance, a wading depth of 800mm, a 35.5-degree approach angle, a 36.1-degree departure angle and a 28.2-degree breakover angle.
There’s decent underbody protection and the side-steps won't bend or become crinkle-cut when tackling axle twisters.
We had planned to do one of the more challenging 4x4 trails in Gauteng on a Sunday, but unfortunately in the morning the dark clouds poured relentlessly.
It hardly relented throughout the day so I ended up playing around at an abandoned quarry close to where I stay the next day.
The rains had made a muddy bog of it but the Grenadier coped admirably as I tried to avoid the worst of the deep soft mud.
There was no need to activate the front diff-lock but in low range up a slippery rock incline with the rear one engaged, it climbed like a mountain goat.
In fact, on a few other attempts I deliberately chose various incorrect lines with the same result.
I had called a mate to tell him of my plans and that he may have to do a recovery in his 200 Land Cruiser, but my only discussion with him was that I was on the way for a cup of hot chocolate.
the Ineos Grenadier has every off-road addition you would ever need.
Image: Supplied
Consumption
Aerodynamically, the Ineos Grenadier is a disaster.
Essentially it’s a brick outhouse pushing air out the way as it moves forward so don’t expect small car consumption.
Still, with a best of 10.4l/100km and a worst of 12.2l/100km, it’s not through the roof and provides a fairly decent distance from the 90 litre tank between fuel-ups.
So, if I had to win the Lotto, I wouldn’t tell anyone but there will be signs.
The R1,862,100 Ineos Grenadier Trailmaster in my driveway would be one.