Off-road fans in the U.S. will soon have an alternative to rugged SUVs such as the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender, and Mercedes-Benz G-Class in the form of the Ineos Grenadier, the first product from the newly minted automotive arm of British chemical giant Ineos.
Ineos Automotive last week announced U.S. pricing for the Grenadier and confirmed a May 31 start date for the reservation process via the company’s website. The first customer deliveries here are scheduled for late 2023, meaning the Grenadier should arrive as a 2024 model. Orders will be finalized with dealerships that Ineos will announce around August.
The Grenadier will be offered in the U.S. in three grades, with prices set at $71,500 for a base grade and $79,190 for Trialmaster and Fieldmaster grades. Ineos said the more expensive grades are pre-configured to suit professional off-roaders in the case of the Trialmaster and more occasional off-roaders in the case of the Fieldmaster.
The Trialmaster and Fieldmaster names come from the fashion brand Belstaff, which is also owned by the Ineos chemical company, and is known for its rugged clothing line, including water-resistant waxed cotton jackets. In the case of the Trialmaster, Ineos includes features like electronically activated front and rear differential locks, a raised air intake, an auxiliary battery, and BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires. The Fieldmaster has similar upgrades in combination with comfort features such as leather trim, carpeted floor mats, and heated front seats.
Ineos Grenadier
Ineos Grenadier
There’s only the one body style at present, a five-door SUV, though Ineos is currently testing prototypes for a Grenadier pickup truck and has confirmed plans to start production of an electric 4×4 smaller than the Grenadier in 2026.
The single powertrain for the Grenadier is a 3.0-liter turbo-6. The engine is sourced from BMW and in the Grenadier is hooked to an 8-speed automatic and a four-wheel-drive system with a 2-speed transfer case. Final specifications for the U.S. market will be announced at a later date, but in other markets the engine is rated at 281 hp in the Grenadier.
The Grenadier is based on a body-on-frame platform with solid beam axles, Panhard rods front and rear, and progressive coil springs. To help reduce weight, the body is made from a mix of aluminum, high-strength steels, and even some composites. To help with the development, Ineos teamed up with Austria’s Magna Steyr, the same company that helped Mercedes-Benz develop the G-Class and still builds the iconic SUV to this day.
Production of the Grenadier, which started in mid-2022 for other markets, is handled at a former Mercedes plant in Hambach, France.
