![]() We’ve spent a lot of time with both power units both on and off-road. ![]() The diesel motor produces 246bhp and 550Nm maximum torque, while the petrol offers 282bhp and 450Nm. Ineos sensibly went to BMW to source the Grenadier’s 3.0-litre straight-six engines. Rest assured that your off-roading nerve is likely to run out before the Grenadier runs out of ability. And, of course, the Grenadier has proper low range gearing selected via a second gear lever next to the main one, and can be ordered with the full suite of locking differentials controlled by a complex overhead panel of switches and buttons that makes you feel like an airline pilot. The petrol is sometimes a little slow to respond to initial throttle inputs but is generally well up to the job of crawling over very difficult terrain. Based on our time in the car, it’s a little easier to control the throttle in the diesel model at low speeds. We’ve driven the Grenadier extensively off-road in Scotland and also in Sussex. It all feels too much like hard work and while things improve with familiarity, everyday on-road driving is made needlessly difficult. Even small adjustments to keep the car tracking true on the move are tough to get right and with no self-centering effect, you have to wind-off everything you’ve just put on as the road straightens out. ![]() It’s light enough but at 3.85 turns from lock-to-lock you need a huge amount of steering angle to effect a turn. The big issue is the Grenadier’s recirculating-ball hydraulic steering system, and it takes a lot of getting used to. But Ineos would also like a little of the fashionable kudos enjoyed by other tough off-roaders – specifically the Defender and the Mercedes G-Class. ![]() Most involve getting people and equipment across mud, sand, rocks, snow or whatever treacherous terrain stands in the Grenadier’s way. The car company founded by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe envisages various use cases for its vehicle in different configurations for markets around the world. When Land Rover replaced its original Defender with the highly impressive, but significantly plusher and pricier new Defender, Ineos identified a vacancy for something basic, tough and uncompromising – like the original with a splash of the newcomer’s extra refinement. Yes, we’re going to mention the D word early on. The way it looks and the intense ‘off-road utility vehicle’ focus of the design and mechanicals make it pretty clear what the Grenadier is attempting to do. Whether you’ll see that as a positive or a negative rather depends on what you want your SUV to do. You might think that the modern car market is overloaded with identikit SUVs, but there’s nothing out there that’s quite like the Ineos Grenadier. Our choice: Ineos Grenadier 3.0 Diesel Station Wagon About the Ineos Grenadier It’s not without its quirks, however, and as you climb the range in search of more creature comforts you get further away from the Grenadier’s core strengths, bringing more polished rivals into play. In many ways, the Grenadier is an impressive achievement by Ineos – a capable off-road tool from a new brand, with serious utility and toughness built-in.
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