While the Land Rover Defender truck is an on-again, off-again affair, Ineos Automotive talks less and does more. Meet the Quartermaster, a pickup version of the Grenadier SUV from which it has inherited its rugged and boxy looks. Debuting today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the utilitarian vehicle has been engineered as a double cab with seating for five. The ute was developed alongside the SUV, so the two models share most of the hardware.
The body-on-frame pickup has been stretched by 305 millimeters (12 inches) compared to the SUV to fit the bed, which has a maximum payload capacity of 760 kilograms (1,675 pounds). The load bay measures 1564 mm (61.5 in) long and 1619 mm (63.7 in) wide, meaning it can easily accommodate a standard Euro pallet. Measuring 1280 mm (50.3 in) wide, the tailgate can take up to 225 kg (496 lbs) when open. Much like the regular Grenadier, the Quartermaster boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs).
Customers will be able to pick from the familiar BMW inline-six engines, either the B58 or the B57. The former is a 3.0-liter gasoline mill with 282 horsepower (210 kilowatts) and 450 Newton-meters of torque (331 pound-feet) while the latter is a 3.0-liter diesel rated at 245 hp (183 kW) and 550 Nm (404 lb-ft). Both engines enable the Grenadier Quartermaster to hit a top speed of 99 mph (159 km/h) after reaching 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.8 seconds in the case of the gas model while the diesel is a full second slower, at 9.8 seconds.
The pickup hasn’t lost the SUV’s off-road chops as you get a center differential lock and a two-speed transfer case as standard equipment. At an additional cost, the Grenadier Quartermaster can be optionally equipped with front and rear differential locks. Mirroring the standard model, the truck has Carraro solid beam axles and Brembo brakes.
Ineos Automotive touts a generous ground clearance of 264 mm (10.4 in) and an 800 mm (31.5 in) wading depth while the approach, departure, and breakover angles are said to be segment-leading. As with the SUV, an eight-speed automatic transmission supplied by ZF channels power to a permanent 4×4 system. The wheels come in 17- and 18-inch sizes with 265/70 R17 and 255/70 R18 tires, respectively.
The truck can already be ordered in the UK and Ineos Automotive says the Quartermaster will echo the SUV’s trim levels: Standard, Trialmaster, and Fieldmaster. Several accessories have been developed, including a roof rack, a lockable roller tonneau cover, a waterproof canvas canopy, and a frame for the bed where there are four tie-down rings.
