What do you do if you’re a classic Land Rover Defender owner, or fan, and feel the latest Defender, well, has gone a bit soft? The Ineos Grenadier could be the solution. It’s designed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire, chemical engineer, and businessman, who after trying unsuccessfully to buy the tooling to carry on production of the original Defender, designed and built his idea for its replacement.
Design and interior
Outside, our test car, in Commercial spec (data listed below this review is for the car version), shares no tooling or componentry with the original. However, the basic silhouette could pass as an original Defender. Look closer, and the design is different, with the Grenadier’s look being softer and slicker, with welcome modern details such as the LED lights – so you can see more at night. Plus, larger door apertures to help getting in and out.
Inside is where the real differences between the original Defender and the Grenadier can be spotted. The original was a simple design, with the large transmission tunnel making the front driver and passenger footwell and driving position feel cramped and claustrophobic. The Ineos has the same commanding driving position, but the footwell and driving position feels far more spacious – even with the large metal cargo barrier behind the seats. It is not quite conventional, but feels more comfortable, thanks mostly to the excellent standard-fit, supportive Recaro front seats.
Interior highlight must be the cockpit-like centre console, with an array of large, clearly marked controls positioned underneath the BMW-supplied 12.3in touchscreen. Which, on top of showing important infotainment information, has a right-hand side which also doubles as the speedometer. Like on a plane, the switchgear carries on into the roof of the Grenadier, although these controls are for the off-roading modes.
Space in the back of the cabin is also decent – with more than enough leg and shoulder room. And even better on our Commercial version, as there’s no rear seat, there’s a 2,088-litre load area. If there were rear seats, there would also be a practical 1,152-litre boot.
Performance and drive
Underneath, the Grenadier features proven off-road components, including a ladder frame chassis, three locking diffs, beam axles front, and rear designed for maximum articulation, a transfer case for low and high-range drive, heavy-duty coil springs and off-road rubber.
Power comes from a choice of BMW-supplied six-cylinder diesel and petrol engines. We tried the 3.0-litre diesel, which produces 245hp, and 550Nm of torque. Both engines come mated to a ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic transmission.
We had the chance to do a little green laning, and this is where the Grenadier feels most at home. It is very impressive in a utilitarian way – much like the original Defender. This is all thanks to the development work undertaken by veteran consultancy Magna.
On the road, considering our test car was fitted with Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres, if anything it had a more compliant ride than the last Ineos we drove on BF Goodridge rubber. Handling-wise, there’s plenty of grip, but the tall body and soft suspension equal plenty of body roll.
Still, the Grenadier’s biggest issue remains its steering, which can catch you out and will stop you finding its low limits on-road. Like the original Defender, the Grenadier has a recirculating ball system designed for off-road resilience, which Ineos is marketing as a characteristic of the car. The steering is best described as slow, with odd weighting. The thick, two-spoke multifunction steering wheel doesn’t help either, you find yourself feeding the wheel in corners – plus making constant corrections. Still, it does get better the more you get used to this car, but we’d much rather the more car-focused driving feel of the new Defender.
Despite the steering issues, it’s hard not to warm to the Grenadier. It really is unique in its class and fills the utilitarian off-roader role that the original has vacated perfectly. Steering aside, the Grenadier is much nicer to drive than the original, with decent interior space.
At £68,167, you could never call the Grenadier in Commercial form cheap! The 37% BIK figure for the Station Wagon, means it will only appeal to a select number of company car buyers. On the flip side, even as a Commercial, it has no direct competition at this price point, as the latest Defender offers a very different ownership experience.
Positive: Impressive off-road performance, rugged exterior and interior design, quality build, BMW-supplied engine refined and powerful.
Negative: Slow steering, expensive, thirsty
Standard equipment: Cruise control, rear view camera, rear park assist, lntelligent speed assist, lane departure warning, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, 12.3in LCD colour touchscreen, Pathfinder off road navigation, remote central locking, anti-theft alarm and immobiliser, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth hands-free calling and music streaming.
Engines: Diesel: 286hp 3.0; Petrol: 282hp 3.0
Equipment grades: Grenadier, Trailmaster Edition, Fieldmaster Edition
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
| Model | Ineos Grenadier 3.0T Fieldmaster Edition |
| P11D | £73,340 |
| Residual value | 39.9% |
| Depreciation | £44,044 |
| Fuel | £13,355 |
| Service, maintenance and repair | TBC |
| Cost per mile | TBC |
| Fuel consumption | 23.9mpg |
| CO2 (BIK%) | 308g/km (37%) |
| BIK 20/40% a month | £437/£904 |
| Luggage capacity | 1,152 litres |
| Engine size/power | 2,998cc/282hp |
| Score | 7/10 |
