New brand’s wild LandCruiser rival

The British brand known for chemicals and its part ownership of the Mercedes-AMG F1 team has turned to four-wheel drives, starting with the Grenadier that arrives within months.

Named after the London pub it was conceived in, the Grenadier was created to keep the legend of the original Land Rover Defender alive while embracing the off-road muscle of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.

It’s aimed at fleets and farmers as well as adventurers and those tempted by the burly demeanour of a utilitarian off-roader.

With prices starting from $97,000 drive-away the Grenadier is a five-door wagon available in two- or five-seat configurations – with a ute on the way.

Six-cylinder turbocharged BMW engines, either petrol or diesel, drive all four wheels. Split British and German flags on the front guards are reinforcement the company has embraced its cross-border partnership. Having F1 champion Lewis Hamilton as part of the down’n’dirty marketing reinforces the connections and broader business dealings of Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Unlike many modern off-roaders, the Grenadier designed as an “uncompromising, no frills, no fuss vehicle that provides the best-in-class off-road capability, durability and utility”. It’s smudged with the fingerprints of Ratcliffe, a keen adventurer.

There are no blingy wheels or even electric seats – the interior can be hosed out, so fewer electronics were part of the brief – with the Grenadier instead available with triple locking differentials and a steel front bumper.

It’s a climb to get in and the utilitarian flavour permeates the cabin, down to an aircraft-style bank of overhead controls. A 12.3-inch centre touchscreen incorporates a Tesla-style offset instrument cluster with a BMW-like iDrive controller.

Back seat passengers sit high but leg room is generous and rear air vents and optional USB ports add to the liveability.

Durability is something we can’t test during our first encounter, which took part in the wilds of northern Scotland during a drizzly winter. But it was enough to learn this is no normal off-roader.

It doesn’t have the everyday liveability of a LandCruiser or Land Rover, but it promises superior track-ready ability.

That starts with its layout, which includes old school live axles front and rear. There are coil springs and 264mm of ground clearance, along with short overhangs to reduce the chance of scraping extremities.

The combination makes for an unwieldy on-road companion. Steering is vague and woolly, something that makes mid-corner adjustments challenging and tight streets a chore. You’ll need big inputs and vigour unwinding lock, something that keeps the driver busy.

The 183kW/550Nm 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel lacks the silky purr of a BMW. Instead there’s a growl and grumble, but it’s effective in shifting the nuggety 2.7-tonne wagon.

The 210kW/450Nm petrol engine of the same configuration is smoother and brisker, although acceleration is stout rather than slick.

Outright thrust, too, is down on the same unit used in BMWs, in part because Ineos says it is prioritising longevity by lowering the maximum revs.

The Grenadier comes into its own the rougher the road gets, pounding over craggy tracks and splashing through mud puddles as if they were a diminutive suburban speed hump.

Selecting low-range 4×4 means wrestling with a lever, while selecting the triple differential locks has an engagement protocol that appears overly fussy.

There are no set-and-forget drive modes – although it does get a wading mode that temporarily stops the thermo fan to traverse up to 800mm of water – so it pays to have some 4WD knowledge of the mechanicals. But once everything is engaged there’s the sort of off-road traction that makes scrabbly rocks or mud holes a snip.

Available BF Goodrich rubber provides the final piece of the impressive off-road puzzle while providing the puncture resistance travellers demand.

The Grenadier goes beyond its capability with a vast range of accessories and clever design features, including side roof rails that to secure loads and integrated door rails for quick release tie-downs. The driver’s side air intake means no additional plumbing for a snorkel.

The Grenadier is no city slicker 4WD. Its prioritises off-road ability ahead of on-road manoeuvrability and refinement, a refreshing point of difference in a world of luxury SUVs.

It’s the sort of muscly off-roader that should carve a niche from those who appreciate genuine engineering nous – while appealing to those after authentic 4WD style.

VERDICT 3.5/5

Woolly steering keeps the driver busy but the nuggety 4WD comes to the fore in rough terrain reinforcing the immense off-road capability.

INEOS GRENADIER VITALS

PRICE From $97,000 drive-away

WARRANTY/SERVICING 5 yrs/unlimited km

SAFETY 6 airbags, emergency call, tyre pressure monitors

ENGINE 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo diesel, 183kW/550Nm

THIRST 10.5-12.2L/100km

SPARE Full size

BOOT 1152L