We could start the story of Ineos Grandir by crossing deserts and jungles, the roar of engines and gears, or by comparing his dashboard to that of a Boeing 737. But perhaps it is better to start in a small pub in London, where the billionaire Jim Ratcliffe used to drink beer with the guys .
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Like hundreds of thousands of fans of the old Defender around the world (among whom I am writing these lines), Ratcliffe also went crazy in 2016, when he saw where the people of Land Rover were going with the replacement of the iconic Defender. One can understand the business considerations of Francie Land Rover, but how to kill the motoring icon, full of charisma, born in 1948?
We've all freaked out, but Ratcliffe isn't just one. He founded the petrochemical concern Ineos in 1998, and is one of the owners of the Mercedes Formula 1 team, of the Manchester United football club, of America's Cup yachts, of bicycle racing teams and other pastimes of the rich. The "Sunday Times" last year estimated his value at 30 billion pounds.
So Ratcliffe offered to buy the coveted brand and give the Defender a new lease of life. Land Rover refused, and Ratcliffe continued on his way – while shaking off a lawsuit from Land Rover, which accused him of stealing intellectual and business property. "We accept the claim that the Grenadier resembles the old Defender in its shape," the court ruled. "But this is because they are both designed to perform the same tasks; just like a Mercedes G, a Toyota 75 or a Suzuki Jimny, they share the same territory and the same design needs."
The technological concept: The fact that Ratcliffe could not be built on the production lines of the old Defender allowed him to start the design from a smooth sheet of paper. But as the court ruled, it also remains fairly close to the old Defender configuration; The Grenadier also sits on a sturdy ladder frame and two live axles (made by Magna, which also makes the Mercedes G axles), has a mechanically operated transfer case (rather than one with fiddly solenoids), Brembo brakes, and wears 32-inch all-terrain tires on plain iron rims and durable – everything Old School is known and proven.
The Grenadier comes with two engine options, familiar 3-liter BMW engines, gasoline or diesel. This is also a technology with a high reputation and reliability. Alongside the British concept and German engineering, it is produced in France, in the former Smart factory which it purchased from Mercedes. Grandir's approach is to give the customer everything.
Dozens of 4×4 items are installed in the vehicle, starting with anchor rails along the sides, through a canopy and grab bars on the roof, preparation for an additional battery under the back seat, a roof ladder, AUX switches waiting for lighting accessories or radios. There is also ventral protection and side steps, a hidden winch in the front bumper, preparation for a removable rear winch, and much more.
It's fun, but many customers won't take advantage of all this abundance – even though it increases the price of the product. But the Grenadier is not meant to be a cheap SUV. In Europe, the test vehicle will cost you about 85,000 euros before extras – this is very close to the price of the new Hybrid Defender, which costs about 685,000 shekels in Israel. It is also NIS 150,000 more than the new Land Cruiser 250. But you might take solace in the fact that the Grenadier costs only half as much as a comparable Mercedes G. The Grenadier should reach us towards the end of the year, imported by UMI – only then will we know final prices.
Design: Despite the court ruling, the Grenadier is strikingly similar to the 1995 Defender. After years of the British telling us that it was impossible to adapt the old Defender to modern safety and pollution requirements, Ratcliffe came along and proved that anything was possible. The Grenadier has the same vertical sides of the aging Defender, a cubed butt, a sloping nose (great for off-road driving), black wings, roof vents replacing the Alpine windows – it looks like someone did a massive facelift to the old Defender. we loved
The Grenadier has 17-inch iron rims that wear 32-inch tires, which is great for off-road work. LED lighting gives a modern touch, the bumpers are softly rounded. The front grill is a bit ornate, but it's really not bad. You can choose between an elongated Station Wagon version like the blue test vehicle, and the elongated Quartermaster van version, the front part of which is almost identical to the test vehicle. The van costs 15% less than the fancy passenger version. There will be no short, or open versions, with a tarpaulin roof.
You can like or dislike the cubic design, but it conveys utility and robustness, suitable for serious field mice, and for institutional customers – firefighters, security agencies, etc. Those will have to choose between two trim levels: Trailmaster, tuned for off-road work (with the test vehicle's snorkel, 17-inch rims and cloth upholstery) and Fieldmaster, intended for lifestyle customers, with leather seats and 18-inch rims.
Cabin: The old Defender was hideous and spartan inside, a masterpiece of poor human engineering on the level of an outdated tractor. The new Grenadier is another world of comfort and efficiency. It is not luxurious and luxurious, on the contrary: everything is functional and durable, the Ricoro seats are among the finest we have sat in, there is excellent space for four passengers and even five. In front there are two bright skylights, which can be easily disassembled for "safari observation" purposes. Meanwhile, there are no giraffes in Tel Aviv, nor is there a shading curtain under these windows. We will see them in Ayalon at 38 degrees.
The side windows are large, and the sense of space is excellent, but the front window is a little low. We were happy to discover that from the driver's seat you can see the tips of the front wings, which is great for maneuvering between rocks or trees. The glove box is surprisingly small, as are the storage compartments in the doors or in the center console. A little disturbing in relation to a travel car. The huge trunk opens with two vertical doors. This allows easy access to the cargo, but completely blocks the view of the interior rearview mirror. And why didn't they install a rear video camera there?
The most impressive detail in the passenger cabin is a huge console, reminiscent of the cockpit of a 747. Its lower part is intended for activating air conditioning and seat heating, dehumidifying, and more – it's impressive, although a bit wasteful in utilizing the space. An analog compass is installed in the middle of the console because "Jim Ratcliffe believes that a GPS must always know where north is, even without a navigation app."
The upper part of the console is mounted on the roof, between the disintegrating windows. From there, the pilot activates external lights, navigation accessories, choice of driving modes, AUX switches to activate optional equipment. It's very cool, unique and comfortable to operate with gloves.
The dashboard is demonstrably clean and modest, with a 12.3-inch display used for receiving information, operating navigation, music. The design of the display is deliberately internalized and textual, as if they were shying away from an overly creative design. The RPM meter appears as a row of small bars, and we didn't really like that. Satellite navigation with the Tracks4Africa software would have been better, but for now we'll settle for the smartphone pairing and a somewhat simplistic display for such an expensive vehicle – including a medium-level reverse camera.
There is a lot of space in the back seats, with a high sitting position suitable for a long trip. There are connectors for installing a separation net from the huge trunk, the carpets can be dismantled and the floor can be washed with a hose, thanks to drainage holes. Despite a few small rejects, this is a very spacious and useful cabin that looks like it will last forever.
Engine performance: Grenadier did not waste time on engine development and purchased one from BMW, an old and successful 6 piston. In the diesel version, it delivers 245 hp, the gasoline produces 282 horses. These are strong and beefy engines, but with a weight of 2.7 tons and the aerodynamics of a grain barn, they have a hard time knocking the Grenadier out of its place.
We drove both versions and liked the gasoline better: it is stronger, quieter and more refined than the rough diesel. It's not that the diesel is lazy, but it is certainly not fast in initial acceleration and intermediate accelerations. Cruising above 100 km/h is excellent and relaxed, that's what is appropriate for such a vehicle. The wind and engine noise penetrates the passenger compartment, as does the tire noise. The diesel is even tougher, with an NVH refinement level reminiscent of a 4×4 van that costs less than half. The maximum speed is limited to 160 km. That.
On the other hand, there is something very pleasant and trust-inspiring in this mechanical roughness, which tells you: "This is not another chubby crossover for the road, or a Chinese tram that does 0-100 in four seconds. You are now embarking on a long journey, so take your time." The diesel accelerates to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds, the gasoline will shorten the acceleration to 8.6. The sound of the air being pumped into the snorkel is pleasant to the ear, reminiscent of a G Wagon. The ZF 8-speed gearbox functions excellently, but the refined BM gear lever. Wu doesn't do so well in the harsh space of Grenadier.
The fuel consumption will be around 8 kilometers per liter, depending on the driving style and the type of engine you have chosen. Ineos sells about 110 Grenadiers a day, 2/3 of which are ordered with the gasoline engines. High demand was discovered in the American market. Unfortunately, the only active safety measure in the Grenadier is autonomous braking, in addition to basic warning systems and airbags. Drive carefully, and good luck.
Comfort and road behavior: at the time of purchase, the customer is invited to choose between solid suspensions for road travel, or a softer and more comfortable off-road setup. The test vehicle sat on the relatively stiff road suspensions, and they performed excellently. The vehicle is comfortable and maintains a balanced chassis, even in sharp turns or under sharp braking. It doesn't have the softness of modern crossovers, but it's also not as stiff as the sporty ones.
The test drive did not allow for an in-depth examination, but the feeling was excellent, including on a bumpy road. There is no doubt that with equipment and people, it will be even better. The suspension and shocks are completely mechanical – not adaptive, not pneumatic, nothing that can break down in the middle of a stream.
With two live axles and rough off-road tires, you can't expect eloquent road behavior. The Grenadier is tall and heavy, and has no intention of being sporty. The British installed Recirculating ball steering, a helical steering box. It's a durable and reliable mechanism but also heavy to operate, doesn't center itself and requires frequent steering adjustments – not what you'd want in city driving, but excellent for absorbing the occasional rock impact. Despite 3.85 turns from lock to lock, you need manual power, and you get a longer than desired turning diameter, 13.5 meters. Here, too, a choice was made in favor of off-road driving, at the expense of the comforts of the road.
Going off-road: the only justification for the existence of such a vehicle is its off-road capability. This ability is demonstrated in the classic off-road configuration and in the best assemblies available. Apparently we could have wanted bigger tires (33 or 35 inches), but it is easy to assume that the British chose 32 for reliability in driving trips, as opposed to extreme offenses or high speed. The off-road driving we were able to do didn't even begin to scratch the envelope of the Grenadier's capabilities; It has a beefy engine and slow transmission ratios, a short "short", excellent body angles and excellent suspension travel – and off-road tires with a section of 70 that allows the air pressure to be lowered to 15-25 PSI.
The headroom is a decent 26.4 centimeters, but in Europe, 2.5-inch lifting kits by Eibach+King are already being sold, for 9,000 euros. The transfer box is activated by a mechanical lever and allows driving in LOW with the central differential locked or open. There are two lateral locks, downhill descent control. The feeling is of very good bump damping (even at full air pressure), and solid and tight underbody assemblies. This is a rare feeling these days, where great emphasis is placed on comfort and pampering.
It seems that the British lacked electronic tricks, although the "Successful" mode, for example, creates over-computing for our taste. The requirement was to submerge in water 80 centimeters deep, shut down the engine for fifteen minutes, then start and continue moving. The test is not only in restarting, but also in tightness. For this purpose, the system seals all kinds of openings in the floor of the passenger cabin and in the engine, limits the entry of water into the air filter and deactivates systems such as heating and air conditioning. It's very impressive but perhaps also an over-sophistication that could harm credibility.
Bottom line: Inaus Grandir is a stubborn redhead's triumph over British industrialists. Or, if you want, a mechanical version of David versus Goliath (just need to decide who is Goliath here). For lovers of the British brand, here is the resurrection, the return of the father of the family in an immeasurably upgraded version. Grenadier is a vehicle with a lot of uniqueness and charisma, a machine that was designed by engineers full of motoring passion, and not by publicists and marketing people.
We fell in love with it at first sight, and despite a few side notes, the British have done an amazing project here. On the other hand, anyone who is not a true off-road mouse should be warned: the Grenadier is a rough and bumpy off-road vehicle, on the road it is really not much fun – unless you know that an adventurous journey in Africa (or the Negev Mountains) awaits you at the end of the asphalt. Another question mark hanging over the Grenadier is its future reliability. In the meantime, we will settle for a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty with no mileage limit, and a 12-year warranty against rust.
We still don't know when the Grenadier will arrive in Israel and what its price will be, but many will want it. It is also not clear how many customers and institutions will pull out their checkbooks, but we are already longing to see it in Nahal Ashosh or Verdit. And after all this, what do you think happened to the humble "Grandir" pub in London? Of course, Ratcliffe bought it too.
Identity card / Ineos Grandir Trailmaster
Engine : 3-liter turbo produced by BMW, 245 hp in gasoline, 282 hp in diesel.
Gearbox: automatic, 8 gears.
Drive: dual for road and off-road, power transmission.
Offense aids: traction control, 3 differential locks.
Performance: 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds in gasoline, 9.9 in diesel. Maximum speed 160 km/h.
Safety: Autonomous emergency braking has not yet been tested in a public crash test.
Estimated price: over NIS 600,000.
Uncompromising SUV, great passenger compartment, engines, quality of materials and price resistance, not quiet and luxurious enough, fuel consumption.
Score: 9.5
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