Ineos Automotive has revealed some of the
principal specs of its upcoming Grenadier SUV, which openly takes after the
Land Rover Defender classics. Four years ago, just as the first-gen Defender
went out of production, Ineos CEO Jim Ratcliffe contacted Jaguar Land Rover
asking to buy the production rights. Facing refusal, he decided to design a
Defender-style SUV from the ground up and enlisted the help of Magna Steyr and
MBTech for the task.
The car is already in its road-testing
phase, and the attached video tells us about its chassis. The Grenadier boasts
an original stainless-steel frame and solid-beam axles supplied by Carraro, an
Italy-based manufacturer of tractors and tractor spare parts. It comes powered
by BMW ZF Series engines (gasoline and diesel) linked to eight-speed automatic
transmissions of the same marque.
The Grenadier
actually does its best to mimic the first-gen Defender and should therefore
prove a worthy rival to such off-road masters as the Jeep Wrangler, Nissan
Patrol Y61, Suzuki Jimny, and Toyota Land Cruiser 79. The latest Mercedes-Benz
G-Class boasts per-wheel suspension, while the brand-new Land Rover Defender
features an integral (‘monocoque’) body design; it remains unclear whether the
Grenadier has either. At any rate, the new Ford Bronco with its body-on-frame
construction and similar chassis design should prove its main competitor in the
market segment.
The company claims that the cabin will be
more ergonomic and comfortable than that of the original Defender. Three body
styles are anticipated: SUV, five-door estate/wagon, and pickup truck. The
production had initially been planned for next year at the Ford factory in
Bridgend, South Wales, but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic might disrupt these
plans.
The pricing is unavailable for the Ineos
Grenadier, but the company reveals that it expects to sell up to 25,000 units
annually.
