Ineos Grenadier on Harry’s Garage

Wasnt it on Harrys Garage where he said that the Ineos bloke asked for the writes to the Defender and Land Rover refused, so he just went ahead.

ie a vanity project just to prove it to them. Most be great to have that much money you can settle your feud outside the boardroom and still loose loads of cash

So who are these aimed at if they aren’t that great as commercial vehicles?

People like Harry ^ – you’d think – are exactly who it’s targeted to. And he prefers the new defender…. Oops!

Wasnt it on Harrys Garage where he said that the Ineos bloke asked for the writes to the Defender and Land Rover refused, so he just went ahead.

Yep – Ratcliffe wanted to buy the complete Solihull Defender line when original Defender ceased production. IIRC there was talk of LR moving the line abroad to get round legislation??????

Ratcliffe then decided to build his own version, LR took him to court and lost.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33552851/ineos-grenadier-legal-challenge-land-rover-defender/

Ratcliffe also took the GB Americas cup sponsorship when LR decided to move on. It’s safe to say They don’t get on.
I’m not sure it’s a bad commercial just not in the guise Harry tested it isn’t a very good Chelsea Tractor. So that’s a positive in my view.

We have a Grenadier dealership setting up down the road that still hasn’t managed to open after a year or so. I just can’t see the demand for these in a proper rural area. Maybe over Harrogate way.

That the one in Skipton? Thought it was open now? Anyway, they seem to have loads of stock and I’ve seen them out on a test drive but don’t think I’ve seen a privately owned one yet?

I’m surprised they didn’t change the routing of the exhaust but then the price is far more than they wanted it to be and more than the land-rover so I guess they just left it.

IIRC BMW have quite a few rules on what manufacturers who buy the engines are allowed to change before they can no longer rely on the BMW support for the engine (warranty, software updates blah blah blah.) Would not be at all surprised if the header, manifold, DPF, cats etc are included.
I know there were things that LR were allowed to do as part of BMW that they wouldn’t have been able to do as part of ford. But BMW had already signed off on the design…

(It’s 20 years since i last dealt with this, so no idea what the *current* state of play is.)

I’ve followed the Ineos grenadier with interest from day one. It promised lots but is way to expensive/compromised now it’s available. Can’t see many folks opting for one of these when the new defender is cheaper/nicer looking etc 🤷‍♂️

But 1.5 billion is pocket change to Mr Ineos !!

Just been up to the dealer to have a sqy at what they’ve sold. Seems they’ve still got the same 12 vehicles they’ve had in stock for a month now. Some have little pieces of paper in them saying “transfer case seals checked” which is interesting as that’s the only mechanical but Ineos made on their own.

They’ve also added two Kombis to the pile, one in a fetching metallic green with a contrasting bright red chassis. For your 60k they’ll throw some beautiful spot welded bits into the openings that would otherwise hold the rear windows. Yum yum.

The rear bulkhead also appears to have put the rear seats into “rendition flight transfer vertical” setting.

Those bits about 100mm up from the bottom of the door look like some trim has fallen off.

I think they’re bumpers for the side panniers to rattle against.

I like that green/red one!

I’m sure a good aftermarket supply will spring up for these that will sort some of their issues just like there was for original Defender which was nowhere near perfect🤣

Im impressed that they managed to get Kerb weight up to 2.9 tonnes!
Google tells me an original defender is just over 2T
Modern Range Rover is 2.4T
A proper sized transit is under 2T

Just thicker steel all over?

That the one in Skipton? Thought it was open now? Anyway, they seem to have loads of stock and I’ve seen them out on a test drive but don’t think I’ve seen a privately owned one yet?

Is it? I must admit, I haven’t been down Keighley Road for a month or so. I imagine it will do about the same as the Merc showroom it replaced.

They’ve also added two Kombis to the pile, one in a fetching metallic green with a contrasting bright red chassis.

I’m not the market (dunno what the market is, looking at that though).

Just thicker steel all over?

Body on frame construction + “luxury” spec level. IIRC that sort of construction on a car like the Disco 3/4 and Range Rover Sport accounted for about 350-400 kilos of the vehicle weight. Some of it is the frame itself, a lot of it is the design direction it pushes you in with the rest of the vehicle.

FWIW the Disco 3/4 and RRS bodies were almost stiff enough that you could have just bracketed all the underbody stuff to the body, project Binky style.

And the Disco 5 was about 300 kilos lighter than the 5, as they went to unibody/monocoque.

I was really surprised by the weight, for me it fails to give train weight payload advantage over the Hilux/Dmax/Ranger alternatives. Still nothing coming through that offers the same capabilities as my old shape Defender 130 that spends a reasonable amount of time around it’s 7t gtw.

The Grenadier was looking so promising on spec and the build up but a bit mleh. Think I’ll be looking for a van and a tractor with 60k box when the lease company want the 130 back.

dunno what the market is, looking at that though

“Do you work for a wealthy flag-carrying NGO? Do your envoys spend all their time travelling unpaved roads and need slightly compromised transport to project UK plc to the natives? Do you operate an inconvenient distance from a Toyota dealer?”

Do you operate an inconvenient distance from a Toyota dealer?”

HA. THat’s it i reckon.

Do you operate an inconvenient distance from a Toyota dealer?”

Distance is irrelevant if you’re driving a Toyota 70 series – you’ll always get there!

https://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70

*Out of interest – I just googled, the heaviest 70 series (LWB Troopy) is 2255kg. Towing weight is 3500kg

I wonder how long Ineos will last when this hits the market! Rugged looks + reliability + cheaper!…

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/americas-new-toyota-land-cruiser-boxy-butch-hybrid

Aye looks tasty the new Land Cruiser 😎

New Land Cruiser looks bloody good. Coming to Europe too, but as a 2.8 diesel first

Nice LC, also shows just how much Landrover **** up with new Defender.

Loads of the Toyota and Lexus at Avonmouth Dock when I was there recently. Not sure they are all for the UK market mind you as some stuff is trans shipped.

Nice LC, also shows just how much Landrover **** up with new Defender.

No, no I disagree. Land rover got it spot on for their market, i.e. shifting chelsea tractors to wealthy city dwellers, it where the money is! The heritage only helps sell to wealthy asian markets. They can’t make them fast enough.

If we are talking about tough, affordable practical small 4×4 trucks then I reckon this has the original 1949 Land Rover brief (more) nailed:

GWM Tank 300:

Sadly not coming to the UK. Because the only thing that sells is chelsea tractors.

Like the look of that Land Cruiser, should sell really well

Saw a Grenadier sat on the hard shoulder a few days ago, had hit a van up the rear. The van had just some damage to the rear doors and lights, the Grenadier had the whole front pushed upwards hinging at the windscreen bottom. Didn’t look very good in a slow speed crash at all! But then most body on frame vehicles are poor on that front anyway, nowhere to dissipate the energy other than down the rails.

No, no I disagree. Land rover got it spot on for their market, i.e. shifting chelsea tractors to wealthy city dwellers

Well I did see one the other day pulling a sheep trailer.

Unless I’m missing something obvious there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing cheap, short wheelbase, 4×4’s with a good towing capacity. They were everywhere once.

Well I did see one the other day pulling a sheep trailer.

Yeah theres a few hobbyist retire to the country types around here with them

Unless I’m missing something obvious there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing cheap, short wheelbase, 4×4’s with a good towing capacity. They were everywhere once.

Because only 5 people in the UK want to do that. The rest bought those 4x4s because they are higher up and there was no other option hence why there was loads about.

Plenty of farmers and horsey folk around here (Herefordshire/Welsh borders) seem to be running new Defenders and all manner of Land Rover vehicles. Quite why, I’m not sure, but if you can afford to buy/lease/PCP one and keep it in warranty, I suppose why not. Electric isn’t going to cut it in the countryside proper for decades to come, if ever and there is a gap opening up (even wider) for a true utilitarian 4×4 with good load and towing capacity.

Saw a grenadier on a stand at a show yesterday, the finished article does look a bit better than the pre-prod models that were doing the rounds last year, but they still look like a mish mash of components chucked together as an old Defender rip-off.

One is driving about Bridge of Allan – a very suitable place for it! Looks like a Humvee without the bash plates, absolutely massive. Can’t see the appeal myself but it’ll no doubt sell.

Muffin, that would be a pickup for most working people/business types.

I see one out in the wild regularly now. Think it’s probably the owner of the garage that stocks them though!

As for Defenders, North Yorkshire is full of them, even the farms.

Yep just come from two weeks in North Wales and there are new Defenders EVERYWHERE not just Abersoch

I’d it’s near Strasbourg I’ve Just driven past the grenadier factory today. Like the look of that land cruiser. Seems a far more resolved design.