The New Land Rover Defender launched in the middle of 2020; arguably not the best time for the iconic Land Rover to return after exiting production in 2016. The New Defender completely overhauled the old, giving the same comforts that a buyer would expect in a more expensive model like the Range Rover or Discovery.
This reborn off-roader maintained a similarly boxy exterior to the old one, which dominates the British countryside and farmlands, but with modern motifs that are in keeping with the rest of the Jaguar Land Rover range.
More importantly, it looks the part of a premium vehicle, the new Defender starts at around $51,000, but with a plethora of optional equipment and an array of engines going as high as the V8, prices can easily exceed $130,000, so an eye-catching exterior is to be expected. Some enthusiasts have seen this as a betrayal of the Defender nameplate’s heritage, the series 1, 2 and 3 were largely the same and in production from 1948 until 1985.
The Land Rover then saw a rebranding as the 90 and 110, a reference to the length of the wheelbase, before receiving the Defender name when the first Discovery was launched in 1989.
The Defender then remained largely unchanged until it left production. A victim of its own success, the Defender was reliable and simple to fix, famously only needing a screwdriver to service the vehicle, those that need a Defender already had them and only those who wanted an offroader to cruise around in were buying them, thus the Range Rover-like overhaul. Enter Sir Jim Ratcliffe, feeling betrayed by Land Rover’s revival his company Ineos have developed the Grenadier, a car for all occasions.
The Grenadier continues the legacy of the Defender.
The Defender
According to The Telegraph, Land Rover recently reported major losses due to the ongoing chip shortage, ironically if last year, the Old Defender had re-entered production, the manufacturer could probably have maintained the same levels of production. The Defender was a purely mechanical beast with its origins coming from the Series 1 Land Rover which took inspiration from the equally simple Willis Jeep. This is the appeal of the Land Rover, simple so easy to fix if it goes wrong but also less likely to.
Examples from the final years of production on the used market are listed on Auto Trader for more than $150,000. Admittedly these cars have been modified to be the height of luxury and have had engine swaps by companies such as Twisted. A stock Defender 110 with 10,000 miles on the clock from 2015 can be listed for around $68,000 and examples from the 1990s can fetch as high as $27,000. With such high prices for used vehicles, the original Defender has become less and less a practical car for those who need one and just like the Range Rover, a status symbol.
The Grenadier
Ineos is pulling at British heartstrings with the Grenadier. Their website is awash with Red, White, and Blue. The rousing statement “If you’re with us … join us”, is a call to arms for those who feel betrayed by the proliferation of crossovers and SUVs that can’t ride over a curb. Ratcliffe knows his audience because he knows what the original Defender stands for and that’s getting from A to B without unnecessary luxuries that increase prices and go wrong.
With this audience wanting more of these no-frills, reliable motoring, the Grenadier took its inspiration from the Defender of older, more precisely the longer 110 model. The Grenadier will be available as a Station Wagon, Two Seat Utility, and a Pick-Up variant. The hindquarters are almost indistinguishable from the original Defender, the only noticeable difference being the LED ringtail lights, which astonishingly look remarkably at home on this aged design.
The front end is mildly different, with an extended bumper and different headlight clusters to work around pedestrian safety rules which give the air of the G Wagen, one of the Defender’s classic rivals. However, this doesn’t mean that Ineos have made a carbon copy of the old Defender. Powering the off-roader is a 3 liter straight-six BMW sourced engine available as either petrol or diesel. High and low ratios and locking differentials give the car increased capabilities over the spiritual predecessor. Ineos has placed great importance on the car’s utilitarian nature, posturing as the antithesis of modern Land Rover products, but this doesn’t mean it completely shuns modern technologies.
The gearbox is supplied by ZF, meaning a similar automatic transmission to the one found in Jaguar Land Rover products is used; the car also has a large central infotainment display, something that is a common aftermarket modification for the old Land Rover. These technologies serve to enhance the car’s functionality bolstering its appeal over an expensive and old Defender.
A Reaction To The Industry
The Ineos Grenadier is yet to make it into production, however, Auto Car report that it will come to market in July 2022 with prices starting at £48,000 and according to Motor Authority in the United States upwards of $75,000. More than the New Defender but less than a used old Defender.
By undercutting the iconic British off-roader the Grenadier appeals to those who truly need a capable vehicle as not only would the customer save themselves a little money but also they have the peace of mind that one receives with having a new car as opposed to an old one that was after all made by the British. As capable as the newest Land Rover is, in most specifications, it looks out of place on a mountain pass unlike its predecessor, the Grenadier does not and because of this, it continues the original Defender’s legacy.
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