Usually these reviews are conducted on the road. We’ll explore what a car is like in its roadside manner; commuting, ferrying people and stuff about, ride quality on longer journeys and what it’s like down a B-road. Every car has its own personality, from aesthetics to traction, which is teased out over the course of a couple of days or a week. It might not be an obvious comparison to open with, but the Ineos Grenadier is as laser focussed in its execution as a supercar such as a Lamborghini or a McLaren. Some cars can begin to contradict themselves, or simply become jacks of all trades and masters of none. As a supercar searches for speed, shock and awe, the Ineos Grenadier searches for the unsearchable.
The Ineos Grenadier a go-anywhere machine that’s somewhat analogue in a digital age, designed to be pushed to its most extreme limits, to be driven where nothing else can follow. It’s also designed to fill a perceived gap in the market. Where Range Rover has gone upmarket, creating highly desirable and expensive cars, the Ineos Grenadier delivers what it believes the latest Land Rover Defender should be. That is to say simple, rugged and unperturbed by any surface. Just don’t call it robust.
So, here we are, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024. Whilst the festival is centred on going as fast as cars possibly can, we’re being driven to a nearby quarry to put the Ineos Grenadier through its paces in its natural environment. I’ve never done any serious off-roading, so I’m excited. If nothing else, this will be something a bit different.
Having signed our lives away and been breathalysed, we’re introduced to Nigel. Thankfully, this is his area. Nigel knows what he’s doing. Which is handy, because I don’t. The first thing you notice about the Ineos Grenadier is how old school it is. If you’re hoping for Range Rover levels of opulence, this deliberately isn’t that. The interior is caked in chalk from the quarry, the cleaning team on site losing their never-ending battle with the inevitable. Still, it adds a layer of charm to the Ineos Grenadier. It looks happiest this way.
Nigel starts pointing to the array of panels and buttons and functions. Being analogue in a digital age has its advantages. If you need different switches and buttons, you can swap them in and out. The vast majority of the Ineos Grenadier is mechanical rather than electrical, making it easier to fix if you get stuck out in the wild. It’s at this juncture I realise I’m more the electronically mollycoddled Range Rover type than the rugged safari trailing Grenadier type.
Still, it’s time to adjust the seat and get ready for action. The first thing you notice is how far over to the right the pedals are. I pull closer to the steering wheel than I would normally and seek to raise the seat rather than lower it. We haven’t moved and I’m already adapting my style.
On the move, the first thing you notice is the mechanical steering. It doesn’t self-centre, which takes a little adjusting to. Your hands are constantly busy adjusting the wheel. On the road, this will doubtless take some more getting used to, but it’s designed to excel in these off road scenarios. Which is does, because you’re properly connected with the wheels.
We’re on the move and there’s no turning back. Over the initial lumps and bumps, the other thing that leaps out is the ride quality. Sure, it bounces over sudden undulations, but it never feels unruly. The coil springs rebound in a measured rather than harsh way.
We’re set to off road mode, obviously, and we’re in low range. There’s no pretence that we’re going to be gathering any speed here. There are gauges in the dash which let you know what angle you’re at, vertically and horizontally. This becomes increasingly interesting as the route becomes more challenging. When it comes to the sharp inclines and descents, the numbers shoot upwards and the Ineos Grenadier uses its trickery to reduce speed rather than increase it.
Even faced with 30-degree angles, the 3-litre six-cylinder petrol engine never howls with any great distress. It has an agricultural thrum to it that could convince you’re in a diesel, but otherwise remains composed. If you weren’t sure who the manufacturer of the engine is, the gearstick is an unmistakable giveaway. This must be something BMW insists upon featuring with its engines, since the automatic Morgans on display elsewhere at the show had exactly the same stick.
Anyway, we’re now crawling over two diagonally opposed rocks and Nigel tells us to creep forward. At the crest, you can feel the Ineos Grenadier balancing on just its front left and rear right wheels, rocking ever so slightly. A slight application of the throttle brings it safely out over the top.
On our second run, as a point of comparison, we attempt the same move without the Ineos Grenadier set to off road. It gets fidgety, scrabbling for traction. The off road wizardry is made clear.
In fact, the overall wizardry is deeply impressive. On sharp descents, the Ineos Grenadier handles them with hill descent control or engine braking. In those spots where you’re quite sure it might face a stiff challenge, it heads over them with ease. Following other Grenadiers around the quarry, you could see the compressions at each wheel and enjoy its trickery from afar.
It’s clearly a car designed for such environments, eschewing the Chelsea Tractor tag of other SUVs. It’s a real throw back to when SUVs were slightly eccentric, off-road-only vehicles, the preserve of farmers and people who enjoyed outdoor pursuits. There’s no lashing of leather furnishing every surface and you won’t find massage seats to soothe you on longer journeys.
Once you adapt to its idiosyncrasies, however, I’m sure the Ineos Grenadier would be amenable enough on long journeys. The steering and positioning of the pedals are the obvious point which may immediately grate, but you’d just get used to them.
If you were buying an Ineos Grenadier solely for use on the road, then others undoubtedly carry more cosseting appeal. If you need off-road use as part of your routine then there are few which could do it better. It’s simplistically laid out to accommodate for this, too. You could jet spray the interior without worrying about ruining your lambswool carpets. It’s rugged by design.
It’s also extendable. Roof tents, removable sunroofs, wading snorkels, jerrycans; the use case is vast. The Ineos Grenadier is a fork in the road for SUVs. What do you really need one for? Safety, comfort and road presence? Or are you going to tap into its full repertoire of tricks? Whilst it’s similar to a Defender, it goes about things in a more old school, and very different, way.
