The background
We’ve all been there. You’re in the pub with friends, a few too many G&Ts have been consumed and you’ve suddenly come up with a brilliant (or cunning) plan. Maybe it’s a groundbreaking podcast, the next great novel, or a new business idea that’s going to revolutionise the world. The next morning, with a hangover inevitably creeping in, the enthusiastic plans and brainstorming of the night before are largely forgotten and eventually scrapped. But when you’re British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, late-night conversations in your favourite boozer don’t stop once last orders are called. They result – five years later – in the launch of a brand-new 4×4 car concept: the INEOS Grenadier. Conceived (at least in part) as a spiritual successor to the Land Rover Defender, the Grenadier has been hotly anticipated by 4×4 lovers and car enthusiasts worldwide ever since early designs were unveiled in summer 2020.

Now, Ratcliffe has delivered on his vision and the final INEOS Grenadier is available for order. In January 2023, members of the global press were invited on an epic journey through the British countryside to put the car through its paces. Expedition 1.0 took place across four stages, starting in the wilds of Scotland and traversing 1,200 miles of country, ending five weeks later at the place where it all began, The Grenadier pub in Belgravia. Brummell was invited on the home stretch of the journey, which saw a Grenadier convoy driving across acres of woods, fields and waterholes in three stately homes rarely open to the public.

The car
A new car model announcement is always exciting, but the launch of a completely new brand is something different. Starting such a project from scratch would be an unrealistic pipe dream for many, but INEOS has ambition (and, apparently, cash) to burn – and a strong association with sport. As the world’s third-largest chemical company – with 36 individual business units and 194 manufacturing facilities in 29 countries – INEOS has a dedicated Sport division, which supports, among many others, a cycling team, the New Zealand All Blacks and Sir Ben Ainslie’s sailing attempt in the 37th America’s Cup. So venturing into automotives wasn’t exactly an unexpected move, but it’s still an impressive accomplishment in just five years – with the inconvenience of a global pandemic thrown in for good measure.

According to Ratcliffe, the Grenadier was conceived as an ‘uncompromising, no-frills, no-fuss vehicle that provides the best-in-class off-road capability, durability and utility’. It’s been designed to support ‘those who depend on a vehicle as a working tool’, whether they’re farmers in rural Australia or Sloane Rangers on their weekend sojourns in the Cotswolds. ‘INEOS Automotive set out a vision to build the world’s best utilitarian 4X4, and we have done just that,’ he adds.

It may be “stripped back”, but the Grenadier is undeniably stylish, making it suitable for doing the school run as well as charging across muddy fields. It’s available as a five-seat Station Wagon and a Utility Wagon with a choice of a two-seat or five-seat layout. Two special Station Wagon editions – the Trialmaster and the more “lifestyle” Fieldmaster, complete with heated front seats and pop-up safari sunroofs – were created in partnership with British outfitter Belstaff, which is also under the INEOS umbrella. Given the two brands’ associations with adventure and outdoor pursuits, they are natural bedfellows and even share central-London office space. Belstaff may have history on its side – the company turns 100 next year and is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its iconic Trialmaster jacket this year – but the Grenadier has ambitions to become a modern motoring icon.

‘We’ve been clothing adventurers for nearly 100 years and we believe that the Grenadier is soon to become an iconic brand, too,’ commented Belstaff CEO Fran Millar.

The INEOS Grenadier is powered by a BMW 3.0-litre turbo-charged inline six-cylinder engine (in petrol or diesel) and the car was developed by 350 world-class engineers, who subjected prototypes to rigorous testing across some 1.1 million miles in 15 countries. The cars are built in Hambach, France, in a state-of-the-art plant purchased by INEOS Automotive in 2021. Plush leather seats by Recaro (in the Fieldmaster edition) ensure a comfy ride, no matter the terrain, and the aeroplane-style dashboards favour chunky analogue buttons over digital, in case you’re driving with gloves or in extreme cold. This acute attention to detail underpins the Grenadier. You’ll also find a jaunty “toot” button to offer a subtle warning to cyclists, horse riders or pedestrians, and modular bumpers can be repaired in sections, rather than having to replace the whole thing.

Naturally, off road is where the Grenadier excels. The INEOS Automotive designers and engineers were given carte blanche to create an ‘uncompromising off-roader with a meticulously selected suite of key components’. Such components include a dynamic suspension system and an eight-speed automatic gearbox with a heavy-duty torque converter specifically for off-road work. Buttons in the ceiling panel allow you to select off road, hill-descent control and wading modes – the latter being suitable for depths of up to 800mm.

The expedition
The final leg of the INEOS Grenadier Expedition 1.0 began on a foggy morning in Stonor Park in Oxfordshire. Herds of deer were (thankfully) out of sight as we travelled across the sprawling grounds, which are open to the public for family-friendly events and private hire. As the fog lifted, revealing clear blue skies, the convoy made its way to Wormsley, a private estate owned by the Getty family. Rarely visited by the public, the stunning 2,700 acres provided yet more off-roading experiences in shady woodland and vast fields. Wormsley is home to one of the finest cricket grounds in England, which was designed as an exact replica of Lord’s. Leaving its grounds, we travelled to our third and final stately home, West Wycombe Estate, for more wading and woodland, followed by a quick spot of clay-pigeon shooting.

Verdict
INEOS Automotive has pulled off an impressive accomplishment. Five years in the making (and five weeks on the road), the Grenadier is, on the one hand, a reliable, old-school 4×4, but with a sleek modern design. On the other, despite its “no-fuss” ethos, it has plenty of swish mod-cons – Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay come as standard, as do Bluetooth connectivity and Pathfinder off-road navigation. It is a pleasure to drive off road and adapts beautifully to road travel and, although the vehicle is sturdy in design, the driving feels light and butter-smooth. Brummell has the distinct feeling that with INEOS’s appetite for continuously pushing boundaries, the best is yet to come.

Prices start from £55,000. For more information, see ineosgrenadier.com