Those who find the new Land Rover Defender too modern and luxurious can now purchase the new British Ineos Grenadier SUV. The comparison between this car and the Defender is no coincidence, as Land Rover was a source of inspiration for Grenadier, which, however, rises to the podium along with three other sources of inspiration.
The first car, Ineos, originally a British chemical company, was announced in 2017. Creator Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly set his sights on the molds and manufacturing facilities of the old Defender. When he failed, he decided to design the SUV himself. According to Ratcliffe, the Grenadier is what the new Defender is no longer: a serious SUV. Ladder chassis, rigid axles and a robust yet simple bottom bracket are important components of the Grenadier.
The body of the Ineos Grenadier undoubtedly shares a lot with the Defender. The unique utilitarian focus is combined with modern technology and powerful units. Among other things, the characteristic broad shoulders, additional skylights and protruding front fenders are clear references to the iconic British âoff-road executionerâ.
While Ratcliffle strongly denies that the Grenadier is any kind of Defender imitation, he still allows the primitive Land Rover to serve as a source of inspiration. Therefore, at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in London, the new creation will be presented alongside the very first production Land Rover, which has not yet been called the Defender. Two Britons are in the company of three other sources of inspiration: the 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, the 1944 Jeep Willys and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
This is a good list of iconic SUVs, although Ineos has yet to receive that title. In any case, the company has taken the development of the car very seriously, including with the participation of former employees of Ford, Daimler, Volkswagen, Bentley and Tesla. Magna Steyr will also be involved in building the car, and Ineos will get its engines, in this case the six-cylinder from BMW. ZF supplies Ineos Automotive with its well-known 8-speed automatic transmission.
