Finally, a REAL Defender replacement?
Are you one of those people who has mourned the demise of the old Defender? Then we have the best news ever for you! An all-new vehicle called the Grenadier is on its way to South Africa and, while it looks and performs like the old Defender, it is said to be an even better vehicle.
The Grenadier will be produced by a company called Ineos Automotive in a bespoke new manufacturing facility in Bridgend, South Wales. Just in case you’re wondering where the name comes from, it was named the “Grenadier” after the pub in which it was conceived.
Production will start in 2021 and we will get the Grenadier in early 2022.
Related: Breaking news: Land Rover’s new Defender finally lands
The Ineos Grenadier has made its long-awaited global debut and, as you can see, it looks remarkably like the old Land Rover Defender:
While we have yet to drive the actual vehicle (the online world reveal only took place on July 1), we were invited to an exclusive virtual Grenadier press briefing/interview with various Ineos directors, including Mark Tennant, the company’s commercial director.
Design was paramount.
He stressed that the design of the Grenadier is fundamental to its success – a sentiment with which we completely concur. After all, that has been the biggest criticism of the new Defender; it simply doesn’t look robust or rugged enough to tackle serious 4x4ing.
Tennant believes that many automotive companies have dropped the ball in this regard. “The market is littered with examples of very capable vehicles that don’t quite hit the spot in terms of the design. We had to get that right. It was paramount. This vehicle (the Grenadier) is absolutely about the job it’s got to do – both in terms of its design and engineering. We’re looking to build an off-road-focused working tool; that’s the opportunity we see. We wanted to come up with a real utilitarian vehicle,” he explained. Based on the videos and photographs of the vehicle that we have seen thus far, the company has certainly achieved this; the design, which incorporates a ladder frame, works extremely well.
The Ineos Grenadier’s design is deliberately utilitarian. All the features are functional and practical.
The designers of the Grenadier drew inspiration from the iconic Willys Jeep. “If it is going to be a working tool, it’s all about the functions it has to perform. It’s all about doing a job. Hence we needed optimal approach and departure angles, for instance,” Tennant elaborated.
Toby Ecuyer, head of design at Ineos Automotive, says that – right from the very start – he focused on creating an “uncompromised off-roader that is more than just a sports utility vehicle (SUV)”. (Sounds a bit like a description of the old Defender, doesn’t it?!)
“It is a proper piece of working equipment. The design is ‘easy-to-read’, with no ambiguity about the Grenadier’s role in life. It is there to do everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Nothing is for show. Modern engineering and production techniques ensure the Grenadier is highly capable, but we have been able to stay true to the essence of creating a utilitarian vehicle that will stand the test of time,” he said.
Practical and user-friendly features abound on the Grenadier. For instance, it has exterior wiring, with exit points to the front and the rear of the roof included as standard. This allows easy access for powering auxiliary lamps, work lamps or beacons. You can sit on the front fenders. Roof bars and roof strips enable loads to be mounted and secured directly without a roof rack (but of course a roof rack can be added easily). There are two rear doors (as opposed to one massive, heavy, hard-to-open door). Then, there is a handy storage box on the rear side. It is accessible from the exterior and it can be used to store grubby, smelly kit, for instance.
The Grenadier is not all about utilitarianism and practicality though. “We’re not building something that is nostalgic from the mid-20th century. It’s bang up to date. It will have a comfortable and modern interior; it will have all the safety systems that consumers in the 21st century have a right and an expectation for. Choosing to have a utilitarian vehicle that is focused on a job of work shouldn’t be a painful experience. Of course, in terms of powertrain choices, it will be as clean and green as possible. We are very much focused on emissions,” Tennant stresses.
Powered by BMW.
On the subject of the powertrain, Ineos wisely elected not to develop its own engine. Instead, it turned to BMW to provide its TwinPower Turbo 3.0-litre petrol or diesel straight six-cylinder engines.
Dirk Heilmann, CEO of Ineos Automotive, says he’s delighted with this arrangement. “We looked at various engine options but, frankly, BMW was always our prime target. We were very happy that we could secure BMW as a powertrain partner. I certainly believe that this is the most efficient internal combustion engine that you can find these days. We are not investing in internal combustion engines because I would say that, in the long run, they are on their way out. Until we have our own alternative propulsion, this is what we’re starting with,” he explained.
The powertrain will be adapted to off-road usage (it will be slightly detuned to improve durability). Some elements of the powertrain will also be adapted so that it can cope with extremely harsh operating conditions. It will be matched to an eight-speed automatic ZF gearbox. There will be no manual transmission option.
As a start-up, Ineos is joining forces and relying on a number of other partners too. The axles are coming from Carraro in Italy. “They have a strong heritage in agriculture and utility vehicles. They are a good, keen partner. We looked at axles from other suppliers and we tested them and, quite frankly, we were not happy,” said Heilmann. The vehicle will feature a solid axle front and rear. Engineering is being done by Magna in Austria and Germany.
The body will be a combination of steel and aluminium (hang-on parts are primarily aluminium; the chassis will obviously be constructed from steel).
Make it your own!
An extensive range of accessories will be available at launch but, in strong contrast to most car companies (which like to “own” their accessory market), Ineos is employing what it calls an “open-source” attitude to people who want to develop or adapt accessories to add to the Grenadier. “We recognise that there are people who have bits of kit in the garage already that they would like to affix to their new vehicle. We are welcoming that. We want to build a sense of community around this vehicle, and personalising to specific requirements is absolutely encouraged,” said Tennant.
Ineos is targeting a wide variety of customers. “The vehicle will appeal to NGOs, corporate fleet operators, people who need this vehicle to do a job of work, lifestyle buyers and off-road enthusiasts,” Tennant explained. These people are currently driving anything and everything from a Fortuner or Everest to a bakkie or Prado.
The company anticipates selling 25 000 to 30 000 vehicles a year at peak year. That isn’t in year one; Ineos acknowledges that it has a brand to build. The peak is expected to be reached in three to four years.
Sales will commence in Europe in late 2021. Markets such as Australia, the Middle East, North America and South Africa will follow. The range will grow, with long-wheelbase models also on the drawing boards.
The company is mindful of the fact that the distribution challenge is huge. It is, after all, starting up with absolutely no dealer network. Accordingly, it will focus on direct and online sales. “However, we won’t begin and end the purchase journey online; people do want to kick the tyres. Traditional dealers will still be required,” noted Tennant, who promised to reveal “some exciting plans on the service side” soon.
It’s too early to predict exact pricing. All we can say is that, according to the Ineos directors, it won’t compete with Thai or South African-built bakkie prices. “We are going to be a bit more than them, but we won’t be taking on G-Class any time soon,” Tennant told us.
The next stage in the Grenadier journey is the actual testing of the vehicle over the next year. (Like many other things, Ineos was extremely innovative because it “launched” the vehicle to the media before the testing had been completed.) We shall watch its journey with great interest. No doubt so too will the thousands of old Defender fans all over the globe…
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