“There’s a new off-roader in town (and country),” says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph: the Ineos Grenadier, an “eagerly awaited” true utility four-wheel drive (as opposed to mere “lifestyle” SUV) that “aims to take up where Land Rover’s Defender left off”. It makes driving off-road effortless and it is in its element in the “rough, tough worlds” of construction, agriculture, and the armed and rescue services.
“Is it any good to drive? In a quagmire in Alsace not far from where it’s being made in a former Smart factory, most assuredly,” says Jason Barlow in Top Gear. The BMW-sourced 3.0-litre powertrain makes light work of even the most “heinous conditions” and is a truly hardy motor: “the Grenadier feels like a vehicle that could hold its own in Mad Max: Fury Road. It feels apocalypse-proof.” The top speed is capped at 100mph, but the car more than comfortably hulks its mighty 2.7 tonnes around on the road and off it.
The Grenadier looks striking too: “ruggedly handsome and undeniably imposing” with “shades of the G-Wagon and Jeep Wrangler”, says Vince Jackson on CarsGuide. Its unwieldy bulk may “cause a few car-park palpitations for urban buyers”, but there is an “uncluttered honesty about its styling” and “you instinctively know this isn’t some poseur’s chariot”: this car was built “primarily as a working tool”. The interior is built on similar principles, with a “blend of contemporary tech and no-nonsense utility”, says Yousuf Ashraf for AutoDaily. There is a 12.3-inch infotainment system and a navigation “pathfinder” function that will help those who like to adventure off-road.
Inside, Ineos has traded luxury for a hard-wearing plastic construction, but it looks almost charming, with an aircraft cockpit-like appearance and chunky centre consoles that you can operate even with gloves on, says James Drujon for CarWow. “In what is now quite a crowded segment of dedicated off-roaders, the Ineos Grenadier has the might to compete with the best of them.”
Prices from £48,000. See: ineosgrenadier.com.