We now know just a little bit more about the forthcoming spiritual successor to the original Defender. No, it’s not going to be a Land Rover. Here is the INEOS Grenadier, the rugged, capable 4×4 SUV so many of us crave.
INEOS is a massive petrochemical company. Last year, it announced that it would launch what looked to be a very cool SUV, the Grenadier 4×4. But the British company didn’t mention many details about this, its first vehicle. Now, we know a little more, and we already want one!
INEOS revealed the exterior of both an SUV and a double-cab truck on Tuesday. The brand didn’t show or talk much more about them. However, we can ascertain quite a lot.
The brand shows a real-life version of the wagon variant of the Grenadier in videos. But in still images, the brand only released digital renderings for us to ogle. INEOS stated that the Grenadier is still slated to go into production in late 2021. We really hope this isn’t just vaporware, as so many have alluded to over the years.
German company Magna Steyr — which built the Pinzgauer and original G-Wagon — is engineering the Grenadier. And it knows a thing or two about rugged, durable, and extremely capable off-road-focused machines. Grenadier prototype testing is already underway, and INEOS plans to accumulate 1.1 million test miles over the coming year.
“Showing the design now allows us to focus on the critical next phase of the vehicle’s development, testing its capability and durability,” said Dirk Heilmann, INEOS Automotive’s CEO. “We have a very challenging program ahead, as we put prototypes through their paces in all conditions, on the way to accumulating some 1.8 million test kilometers over the coming year. From today the covers are off. Testing ‘in plain sight’ without the need for camouflage wrapping, foam blocks, or fake panels is an added benefit.”