There’s a lot to like about the new Ineos Grenadier: price, capability, tough looks. And the fact that it is coming to New Zealand.
Ineos made a name for itself picking up elderly Land Rovers and refurbishing them to customer specs.
Now it has confirmed that its bespoke Grenadier 4X4 is coming to New Zealand and will tackle established off-roaders like Land Rover’s Defender and the Toyota Land Cruiser head on.
Designed as a tough but sophisticated alternative to luxury four-wheel drives, the Grenadier claps back against perceptions that modern 4WDs have gone soft.
It is a prime rival for the likes of the new Defender and Toyota’s Land Cruiser 70 Series and has been confirmed for New Zealand release in July 2022.
Local pricing is likely to start at $93,500, just above the cheapest Defender, though the Defender range quickly gallops past the $100,000 benchmark once higher spec versions are chosen, and the range tops out at $164,000.
This is a serious market. Land Rover said pre-orders for the new Defender exceeded $8 million heading into its launch in 2020.
In New Zealand the Grenadier will be sold through Rick Armstrong’s prestige auto dealerships in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
For those thinking the obvious – that Grenadier looks like one of those resto-mod Defenders fetching eye-watering prices around the world – there is good news. Though its history and styling are closely linked to the classic Defender, this is an all-new, right-now four-wheel drive.
Design team leader Sir Jim Ratcliffe created Grenadier after an offer to buy Jaguar Land Rover’s tooling of the original Defender was rejected. The Grenadier uses current-tech BMW 3.0-litre inline-six petrol and diesel engines set in a traditional ladder chassis with live axles front and rear. It has permanent four-wheel drive and the front, centre and rear diffs are lockable.
The coil-sprung, multi-link suspension was developed in partnership with Magna Steyr, the German company that also developed the original BMW X3.
The Grenadier’s safety features are yet to be confirmed. Currently the company insists it will not be providing cars to ANCAP for an independent safety assessment. New Zealand has no safety assessment programme of its own and piggybacks its local-market recommendations on ANCAP.
Keen customers on remote trips will also be able to work on cars themselves, with Ineos promising open access to repair manuals, design schematics and parts catalogues to help adventurers find their way home.
The Grenadier launches in Europe next year and will be sold in New Zealand from mid-2022 as an SUV or a ute. The USA doesn’t get the new 4WD until 2023. Globally, customers can buy the vehicle online without setting foot in a showroom or can organise a traditional test drive.
