The “spiritual successor” to the classical Defender, the Ineos Grenadier, is getting closer to production and sale in North America. As they get ready to see American roads, we’re learning more and more about the Grenadier, and how its position in the market has evolved.
The Grenadier is coming to North America in 2023, with pricing to be revealed in late 2022. The British version is already available to order, including pricing, with the price of a base vehicle about $64,000 US dollars converted. That’s before you add on features like front and rear locking differentials, heated seats, off-road bling, non-basic colors, or the £250 compass and altimeter. However, the spread of pricing is smaller than the Defender, with fully-kitted vehicles clocking in at around $77,000 US dollars, converted. Due to the way that the UK structures car pricing, these prices may not correlate to American pricing.
So far, this technically fits in with a pricing target of “sub-$65,000” that we were promised in the late 2010s as INEOS CEO Jim Ratcliffe launched his off-road pet project. However, it is more expensive than the actual new Defender, which starts at $53,500 for 2023.
As for the off-road guts, the Grenadier will come with a ladder chassis, solid axles front and rear, coil springs, and a locking center differential with an off-road system similar to a classical Defender. The axles are made by Carraro, a major Italian industrial firm. The optional “Rough Pack” gives you Eaton locking differentials front and rear. (What’s unclear is if these are off-the-rack Eaton lockers from another vehicle or a custom application for the Grenadier.)
As for the dimensions: the approach angle is 35.5 degrees, departure is 36.1 degrees, and break over is 28.2 degrees. This compares to the 37.5/40.0/27.8 degrees of the Defender 110, the Grenadier’s closest comparison in the three-size Defender range. Ground clearance is 10.3 inches, compared to Defender’s 11.5 inches. (The Defender’s measurements are all in the air suspension’s raised off-road mode.) The Grenadier can clear 31.4 inches of water, a few inches less than the Defender’s 35.4 inches.
The Grenadier is coming out with a BMW powertrain at first, with a gasoline and diesel version of the 3.0-liter straight six motors available in different markets. (North America is only getting the gasser.) It’s the same motor that’s in cars like the BMW 4 Series, but the Grenadier version is re-tuned for off-road use. Future plans include a hydrogen-powered vehicle and some version of electrification.
The Grenadier is only available in a five-door station wagon in North America. European customers can pick a van configuration, with steel rear sides, but that version isn’t available in the US configurator. The Station Wagon is available in three trims: a standard version and two special editions dedicated to a partnership with Belstaff, a British jacket maker. Each of these editions is named after one of Belstaff’s core jackets in their product line. The Trailmaster is built for extreme off-roading: it comes with the essentials like a snorkel, steel wheels, a second battery, and diff locks. The Fieldmaster is a more refined truck, with heated leather seats and carpeting. Both vehicles come with the appropriate Belstaff jacket.
When it comes to aesthetics, the Grenadier has taken the contrasting color characteristics that are traditional with a Defender and maximized them. One trait that seems to be a sort of trademark is the contrast-painted nose. The rear-left barn door, ladder frame, and roof can also be specced in contrasting colors.
As for future variants, there’s a double-cab pickup that’s on the configuration page but blurred out, and rumors of a smaller, second vehicle offering. It’s yet to be seen how successful the Grenadier is, and it is unlikely to come close to the incredibly brisk sales of the new Defender. But it does offer a new alternative for those who truly miss the old Defender and cannot see any modernized alternative as working for them.
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