First Drive: Ineos Grenadier 2023 Review

What is the Ineos Grenadier? On the face of it a true successor to the spirit of the original Defender that Land Rover itself chose to abandon. And perhaps the last real 4x4 in a world of SUV posers, complete with a buccaneering ‘named after the pub it was designed in’ origin story. On the flip side, an opportunist land-grab on proud Land Rover heritage by a billionaire, Brexit-backing tax exile who, at the first chance, reneged on the promise of building it in Britain when he realised European engineering and manufacturing expertise could do a better job of it. Possibly all of the above.

Meanwhile, for all the 'doth protest too much' claims of Ineos to the contrary, the Grenadier doesn’t do a whole lot to disabuse the casual observer of its Defender influences, even if in spirit and engineering it’s perhaps closer to the original Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Certainly, it sticks to 4x4 doctrine of a ladder chassis with the body bolted atop and live axles beneath, with all the diff-locks and off-road addenda you could dream of. Cynicism aside, though, it genuinely feels like it was built by, and for, the kind of adventurous off-road enthusiasts long left behind by mainstream SUVs, new-school Defender included. The question now is can it deliver.

Having won a court ruling that Land Rover couldn’t trademark a silhouette, Ineos has taken the idea and run with it. Suffice to say, it would be interesting to see how that argument would have played out if, instead of a blocky off-roader, it had decided to reimagine a back-to-basics sportscar with a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. But maybe that’s the next glint in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s eye. In this instance, Ineos’s counter argument is that if you’re designing a body-on-frame off-roader there are only so many shapes you can end up with, and it’s fair to say function has dictated much of the styling.

On the outside this is reflected in the external hinges on the doors (the bolt heads are actually dummies for security), the spare wheel and ladder combo hanging off the 30:70 split rear doors and chunky rubbing strips along the side. These can optionally be swapped for quick-release racking like that used by the airline industry for attaching all manner of base camp paraphernalia, with more of the same in the boot.

Three main variations on the theme will be available, comprising a two-seat Utility Wagon with blanked out rear windows, a five-seat Station Wagon with the rear seats moved forward for more load space, and the two Belstaff branded lifestyle models based on the latter but with more in the way of luxury and legroom in the back. A ‘Rough’ options pack adds front and rear diff locks, while the ‘Smooth’ equivalent includes nice-to-haves like a reversing camera, ambient lighting and power mirrors.

Having apparently considered a number of options Ineos eventually went with BMW as its powertrain partner, the fitment of modern and sophisticated straight-six petrol and diesel engines perhaps the biggest divergence from the brief for field serviceability with spanners rather than diagnostic terminals. It’s likely a pragmatic decision based on the need to have emissions-compliant engines as much as anything, though apparently Ratcliffe wanted a bigger motor and, helpfully, it puts some distance between the Grenadier and the gruff four-cylinder diesels found in most classic Defenders.

Given the 2.7-tonne kerbweight both engines have their work cut out but are smooth and responsive, the petrol edging it on horsepower but the diesel, inevitably, winning on torque. Given there’s not a massive difference in refinement we’d probably go with the latter. Both drive through the familiar and well-proven ZF eight-speed automatic and a transfer case of Ineos’s own design with mechanically selectable low range and a lockable centre diff. From here power goes to hefty live axles front and rear, a suitably over-engineered steering box delivering a very traditional 4x4 feel at the wheel, the characteristic lack of self-centring requiring some getting used for those coming from more car-like SUVs.

While much of the heft stems from determination to over-engineer the structure to near-indestructability a good portion of it also comes from an unexpected focus on NVH, and for a body-on frame vehicle the Grenadier is more G-Class than Jimny. You get the odd shudder now and then but, even with off-road tyres and biscuit-tin aerodynamics, you can hold a conversation at motorway speeds, the work on details like bushings, glass thickness and body mounts paying off.

The slow, low-geared steering tempers your ambitions on the road but once you settle into it the Grenadier has refinement sufficient that you might feel willing to cruise from London to that remote Scottish estate for a straightforward shooting weekend, and enjoy the fact you could then drive onto the moor without having to swap your kit into the gamekeeper’s smelly old Hilux. With the secondary transmission lever shifted into low and centre diff locked the Grenadier romps over pretty much anything, the front and rear diff locks (included with the Rough pack and standard on the Trialmaster trim), dedicated off-road mode and hill descent control available as get out of jail free cards if you need them. Here it genuinely feels in its element, the suspension still plush enough occupants won’t take a beating, the sense of over-engineering sufficient you won’t wince at the occasional thud of chassis on rocks or scraping of branches on the bodywork.

The guiding principle of the Grenadier was that nobody was making a 4x4 of this nature any more and, while you’d have expected it to deliver on that in the rough, the relative civility on the road is in fact the biggest takeaway.

On the inside Ineos has taken full advantage of not being chained to legacy design and delivered an interior that is both characterful and usable in equal measure. Chunky, rubberised switchgear configured like the control panel for some sort of heavy industrial or agricultural implement shouts a deliberate focus on functionality, major controls grouped together logically with off-road selectors and switches for the pre-wired accessory outputs in an aircraft style roof panel. Given the controls all look the same it takes some muscle memory to remember which is which, but that will likely come with more time at the wheel. There are some nice, playful touches as well, like a ‘Toot’ button with a less aggressive secondary horn to alert horse riders and cyclists (inspired by Ineos’s sponsorship of the latter) and port and starboard flashes to the panels in a reference to its sailing connections.

Fit and finish are also impressively slick, perhaps vindicating Ineos’s decision to take on an established factory from Mercedes and, with it, facilities and a workforce equipped to do the job properly. It feels a cut above your average automotive start-up, put it that way. Only the generic BMW gear selector and laggy touch-screen really let it down, the Recaro supplied seats meanwhile comfortable, the rubber mats on the floor reassuringly sturdy and general sense you don’t need to be precious about clambering in and out in muddy kit all fit for purpose. Five drain plugs in the floor mean you can even hose it out if it gets really minging. True, it’s no Range Rover in here. But nor is it the hairshirt 4x4 vibe you might have braced yourself for. Whisper it, it’s a huge step on from a trad Defender as well.   

If you’re coming from a mainstream SUV you may be disappointed at the general lack of bells and whistles in the Grenadier. True, there is a big screen in the centre console which covers everything from basic instrumentation to navigation, and you can connect your phone to it wirelessly to get your apps. There’s also an off-road specific Pathfinder navigation system that can both follow and create GPX files for routes where the next junction is marked by trees and rocks rather than overhead gantries. But if you equate acres screens, massaging seats and assisted driving fluffery as essentials you may be in for a shock. Here the features are more about expedition-ready load carrying options, clip-on awnings, pre-wired auxiliary power outputs, winches and extra lighting, all based on feedback from the hardy 4x4 types Ineos aligns itself with. In terms of models the Fieldmaster and Trialmaster editions are the ones most regular customers will probably favour, both taking their names from famous Belstaff jackets for a garnish of lifestyle cool.

The Fieldmaster pitches itself at those using their Grenadier to get them to wherever they’re doing what they’re doing in relative comfort, be that a camping trip, canoeing expedition or towing the horsebox to the local gymkhana. As such it gets leather upholstery, glazed ‘Safari’ panels in the roof, carpets and heated seats where the Trialmaster rocks steelies, a high-level air intake, rear ladder, the ‘utility belt’ exterior cargo racking and is aimed at those who reckon the journey is only starting when the road runs out. Or wish to project that idea, even if they rarely go beyond city limits. Both have the Smooth pack, Rough standard on the Trialmaster and optional on the Fieldmaster. Beyond that the accessories catalogue awaits, the Grenadier ready to support your ambitions no matter how far they stretch.

How heavily the emotional baggage of the Grenadier’s obvious influence weighs upon you will be a personal matter but, as a product, it’s clearly been designed, engineered and built with impressive rigour, given this is an all-new automotive brand. With the financial clout and hard-headed business acumen of Ineos and its chairman Jim Ratcliffe behind it the Grenadier has, clearly, been able to follow its ‘built on purpose’ ethos without the distractions being part of a more established brand would have entailed. And this lack of compromise is admirable. It’s not for everyone, of course. But for those left bereft by the death of the Defender, or disillusioned by mainstream SUVs, it’s the real deal. Whether it lives up to the dream or ends up as just another Chelsea tractor is up to those who buy it.