Does the world need another SUV? It just might, if you ask Sir Jim Ratcliff, a 4x4 enthusiast who always loved the Land Rover Defender, a British-built SUV that had proved its worth for decades in war and peace.
By 2017, though, the Defender, which had been basically unchanged for decades, was gone. It was replaced by a more modern and far less basic model, and that made Ratcliff unhappy.
Nursing a beer in a pub in London, he decided that if Land Rover was no longer building a Defender, his company, Ineos, would do so — despite never having built a car. This is why you've never heard of Britain's Ineos Automotive, a division of the world's third-largest chemical company, nor its first vehicle, the forthcoming Ineos Grenadier SUV.
Deciding to build a new vehicle from scratch is no small undertaking. And the market is filled with competitors with decades of experience. So Ineos is partnering with BMW Group for the Grenadier's powertrain and with Magna Steyr for chassis and suspension to create an SUV for a part of the market the company feels is underserved.
"In terms of capability and rugged dependability, you've got a vehicle that's built for a 30-year life span plus rather than a 10-year life span," said Gregg Clark, executive vice president for Ineos Automotive. Clark comes to Ineos after stints at Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Benz and Acura.
While interior design has yet to be finalized, the Grenadier's exterior is 90% finished. Unlike most modern crossover SUVs, which feature unibody construction, the Grenadier is built body-on-frame.
Its exterior is a combination of steel and reinforced aluminum. The owners can stand on the fenders and hood. The roof's static load capacity is 750 pounds — enough for you and a friend to pitch a tent on it and camp overnight.
The Grenadier's side rails feature integral L hooks for mounting jerrycans, shovels, rescue ramps, luggage and other items. Grab rails at the top of the rear side windows can be used as tie-down points or handles for climbing into the rear seats. The rear hatch door is split 70/30 and hinged like a barn-door. An optional ladder can be fitted for accessing the roof. Its windshield is fixed, but the sunroof is removable.
