Ineos Grenadier review (2021) | Coach Car News

It’s hard not to think of the old Defender when you first see the Grenadier. There are obviously clear design similarities between the two, including the round headlamps, split fenders, flat windshield, clamshell hood, button-style door handles, exposed door hinges, and styled tailgate. barn door.

Some will see the familiar appearance of the new all-terrain vehicle as a complement to Land Rover’s traditional design; others may not be so diplomatic. Either way, it looks solid and includes some extremely functional features, including “utility rails” in the side protection that buyers can choose from as part of a long list of additional options.

And with six-stud wheels shod in Bridgestone Dueler H / T all-terrain 265/70 tread tires, the prototypes here today seem ready for the toughest roads.

Grenadier is not, however, completely utilitarian. Features like LED lights help give it a modern touch. One of the prototypes we drove even had rear parking sensors.

Take a closer look and you will notice other modern features including the latest sealing technology. “This class of vehicles has not been the best in the past in this particular discipline,” Heilmann says. “Water, gas and dust tightness is one of the areas where we have focused a lot of effort. “

The basis of the car is a sturdy ladder frame, the design of which was specially commissioned by Ineos. It is produced in Bielefeld, Germany, by Gestamp (the company that was responsible for the structure of the Volkswagen Amarok pickup), and it is combined with a pair of very sturdy beam axles made by the Italian company Carraro. It’s not state of the art, reminiscent of the layout used by the original Defender, but it serves a purpose by providing exceptional ground clearance and is mated to several modern systems, including Bosch power steering.

As with the old Defender, the interior body of the Grenadier is a steel structure while the body panels, including the fenders, roof and doors, are made of aluminum. Power comes from a pair of turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engines produced by BMW. These were chosen for their ability to deliver the kind of relaxed performance and high torque that Ineos deemed crucial to provide the Grenadier with top off-road performance as well as sufficient refinement to allow it to be used anywhere. the days on the road.

“At the start we looked at a number of possibilities, both four and six cylinders,” Heilmann explains. “However, we quickly came to the conclusion that it was BMW’s inline six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines that were the best fit, both financially and in terms of packaging.”