Ineos Grenadier is destined to be a highly desirable 4×4 with a pedigree for function and capability for the road less traveled

When Greg Clark, Executive Vice President of the Americas for Ineos, began his presentation of the long-awaited Grenadier 4×4, it was apparent his automotive passion, coupled with the brand’s focus on creating a functional and well executed product, has been priority number one since the Ineos Grenadier made its debut nearly one year earlier.

Before delving into the details of IG 0001, the static prototype Grenadier 4×4 I had the privilege of experiencing in late May, it’s important to understand the literal driving force behind Ineos’ decision to bring this truck to market.

In 2017, Ineos, a well-established and one of the world’s largest Petrochemical companies, formed Ineos Automotive under the direction of founder Jim Ratcliffe. The goal: to develop the ultimate utility 4×4. At the time, the perception had been most auto manufacturers had gotten away from offering platforms truly capturing the pedigree of off-road capability. A compromise between practicality and luxury was becoming the norm, leaving consumers with the decision of seeking untenable long-term financing options or to focus on the pre-owned market (a market with admittedly numerous choices but also with its own limitations). Jim wanted to buck this trend with a focus of bringing back simplicity and capability in a classically modern design. To do so, he hired an extremely qualified team to design, engineer, and market the Ineos Grenadier so that upon its arrival, the truck would achieve his goal of being the ultimate utility 4×4.

Of those hires, Greg Clark joined the team this past spring to spearhead Ineos Automotive’s efforts to bring the truck to North America. Greg’s background is impeccable, having held various senior product, brand management, and marketing positions at Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-AMG as well as spending 12 years in USA holding roles at Mercedes-Benz and Acura. His experiences are integral in the direction that Ineos follows once the production truck arrives stateside.

Starting from the bottom up, two tire options will be available for the Grenadier 4×4 including a BFGoodrich all-terrains as well as a Bridgestone 4-season on-road tire, both of which are specifically designed and tailored for the Grenadier. Solid axles, front and rear, will provide maximum articulation and durability.

A two-speed transfer case, along with three locking differentials (front, center, and rear) will be available with the truck (locking differentials will not come standard but will be available as options) sitting on a fully galvanized steel chassis. Providing power to the wheels and axles will be BMW’s straight 6-cylinder turbo-charged B58 gasoline engine, calibrated specifically for the Grenadier and mated to a ZF8 eight-speed transmission that will be manually shiftable. Of note is the international market will have a diesel offering not available stateside, at least not initially due to emissions requirements. Additionally, it’s not yet known whether this will be achieved via paddle shifters though it is confirmed there will not be a manual gearbox.

Towing capacity from the I6 B58 engine is expected to be approximately 7,700lbs which, if executed in the production version of the Grenadier, will put it near the top of its class. Additionally, the body on frame is a hybrid of steel and aluminum, designed specifically to provide maximum durability off-pavement. I was also told because of this configuration, the Grenadier will be under 8,500 GVWR which will also make it one of the heavier platforms in its segment.

The goal with the Grenadier is maximum utility and side rails have been integrated into the body panels to maximize this utilitarian focus by allowing mounting points for jerry cans, luggage, and other accessories when when you’re traveling off the grid. Along the roofline are hand rails, making it easy to grab and store or remove items loaded on top of the truck. The roof itself has a static load capacity of 750lbs, allowing for proper placement of a roof top tent with 2-3 adults without hindering the vehicle’s load limit.

Regarding accessorization and modification to the Grenadier, Ineos has indicated their intent to make the truck fully capable right out of the box, much like the modern Jeep Wrangler (minus the foldable windshield and removable doors which the Grenadier will not have). This will include rock sliders and skid plates (standard with 2 mill steel and available with 4 mill thickness steel). However, Ineos recognizes the importance of the aftermarket and is currently engaging third party manufacturers to design and develop quality product to maximize the Grenadier’s functionality. To accommodate accessorization such as winch, LED lights, appliances including fridge/freezers, power tools, solar panels etc., Ineos has pre-wired the Grenadier on the inside to ensure electrical componentry is literally plug and play with cabling in the front, sides, rear, and roof of the truck.

Speaking of the interior, the Grenadier will have everything you want and nothing you don’t. The seats are promised to be quite comfortable with leather and heated options, touchscreen display designed to be easily navigable and intuitive, and clearly marked switches to control everything on the interior along with your plug and play accessories.

So when is the Ineos Grenadier going to become available? Greg indicated for the UK and European markets, the truck will most likely be arriving by Summer 2022 with arrival in the U.S. several months later. Right now he’s developing his team in the U.S. to define a strategic retail network, focused in areas that have the greatest market potential with approximately 70% market coverage at launch. This most likely means between 30-50 stores in the U.S. and Canada at the onset with the network expanding based on sell-through and consumer response. How this will translate in the long-term for vehicle servicing and warranty concerns is not yet know; however, I expect Greg and his team to have this efficiently executed once the Grenadier has arrived and ready for exploration across the Americas.

Personally, I’m quite excited about the entry of the Ineos Grenadier to the automotive market. I spent several hours with Greg and IG 0001 in Texas and seeing and experiencing the truck in person, and hearing from Greg about its evolution from proof of concept to reality, has me convinced the Grenadier will be an exceptional on-road and off-pavement machine. 2022 can’t come soon enough and when you have the opportunity to see and experience the Ineos Grenadier upon its arrival, I think you’ll find it to be a well-executed adventurer for the road less traveled.

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