[Gallery] Meet the do-it-all Ineos Grenadier | GRR
Part Defender, part G-Wagon, part Willys jeep, the all-new Ineos Grenadier 4x4 certainly takes its inspiration from some much-loved all terrain royalty. Yet judging by the interest in its performance this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, it’s more than capable of ploughing its own furrow.
With the Grenadier prototype making its public debut on Thursday, before going on general sale in 2022 from around £45,000, we’ve had the chance to take a much closer look at what’s on offer.
From the outside, it certainly looks a rugged and functional beast. Larger than expected, it’s purposeful but still easy on the eye. Well, as easy as a go-anywhere, do-anything terrain chomping off-roader can be of course.
Its flat, unfussy surfaces and subtle detailing on the nose nod towards retro G-wagons, while the rear end feels more Defender-like. But actually, peaking inside is when the Grenadier really comes alive. Especially in the case of the super tactile military-inspired buttons, switches and knobs. No massive all-consuming digital touchscreens here, thank goodness. Just a smart and manageable infotainment screen, flanked by the old-school controls that give a sense of being inside a cold-war armoured vehicle or a military aircraft. All good stuff in our book.
The Ineos Grenadier will be powered by one of two turbocharged engine options from BMW. Either a petrol or diesel 3.0-litre six-cylinder, mated to an eight-speed ZF auto ‘box.
For those of you feeling a bit ‘left-behind’ by the sudden shift to electric motoring, with cockpits feeling more like a new smart phone than something you’d actually want to live in and enjoy, then perhaps the Grenadier is the perfect car for you in 2022. Especially if your regular commute resembles a stage of the Dakar Rally.
Photography by James Lynch.