Grenadier

[blueboy]

Ambitious service support... not more than 45 miles/45 minutes away.

New 2022 Ineos Grenadier production begins with first deliveries in December | Auto Express

The first Ineos Grenadier has rolled off the production line at the firm’s Hambach plant, despite supply chain issues hampering the release of the rugged 4x4

www.autoexpress.co.uk

Reads like it is for just GB? And not an overall global position? Or just Euro?
45 minutes from me doesn’t get you much. That AAA 200 mile towing has been used in the past.

 

[vtlandrover]

Yeah, I'm 3.5 hours from my nearest Land Rover dealer. I'd agree that it is likely aspirational for the UK/EU.

 

[FlyersFan76]

I always hate it when a "news site" wastes thousands of words over-emphasizing something that is a simple straightforward fact. It's hard to make a profit until you sell a product. And Ineos has supply issues like everyone else at the moment. Not much they can do.

Couldn't agree more. The tech sites that talk about mobile phones, computers, smart tech, etc are much worse.

 

[pfshoen]

Might be doable in Britain. USA not so much. Lol.
How long until they build #2?
Is the short bed crew cab pickup subject to chicken tax? Could mean none for the USA.
Too much has been made of the Gren borrowing styling from the old Def. The boxy shape is a universal utilitarian truth, not something unique or proprietary to Rover. It's not an art project for ponces like a modern SUV. Form follows function. The front-end treatment may be too close to the bone, however, with its waterfall fender fronts, flat tops and hood shape. The creases in the hood add strength, but don't hide that it and the fenders are straight off the old Def. The grill and the bumper weren't borrowed (or the round headlights, lol).
I look forward to road (and off) tests of production vehicles.

 

[jymmiejamz]

Didn’t Bosch end their US service center program?

 

[Andrew]

I wonder if they seriously considered a soft-top version of the Grenadier. They really need that for the North American market in order to realistically compete with the Wrangler and Bronco. Someone needs to let them know.

 

[erover82]

View attachment 25627

The first production vehicle driving off the assembly line.

Great color to roll out first. Hope there's some way to turn off the headlamp bling rings though.

 

[pfshoen]

Great question @Andrew.
If they didn't include that as an option in the original design/engineering, it might not be easy for them to manufacture.
The Gren hardtop itself acts as a load bearing cargo platform and is an integral part of the cab structure.
Sales goals aren't that ambitious, so they may figure the market will take all station wagons.
Liability for open top 4x4's may also be an issue.

 

[TJS]

Great color to roll out first. Hope there's some way to turn off the headlamp bling rings though.

Daytime running lamps. Likely required by law?

 

[Siia109]

Too much has been made of the Gren borrowing styling from the old Def. The boxy shape is a universal utilitarian truth, not something unique or proprietary to Rover. It's not an art project for ponces like a modern SUV. Form follows function. The front-end treatment may be too close to the bone, however, with its waterfall fender fronts, flat tops and hood shape. The creases in the hood add strength, but don't hide that it and the fenders are straight off the old Def. The grill and the bumper weren't borrowed (or the round headlights, lol).
I look forward to road (and off) tests of production vehicles.

Borrowing? Didn't they try to buy the old castings from LR? Didn't JLR take them to court over coping the design elements to closely?

I'm fine with it - JLR walked away from this and it motivated someone to make an entirely new car from the ground up. Its a story that has never happened in the automotive world - its an awesome story - and all connections need to be made that this vehicle is not just "barrowing" but took over the flame and made it better - oh and BTW JLR you might want to take notes you Posh Spice sellouts.

I plan on incorporating some of the design elements they have used into my LR127 rebuild as a "tip of the hat" to the new Defender linage. I want this to be successful - I want photos of this pulling the new Defenders out of the mud or towing one home because their airbags went off or the electronics got cross mogenated. Petty as it is...LOL.

Cheers

 

[MountainD]

I get an email that they want me to vote to pick one of 6 people that get to pick their truck up in some remote place and drive out. Like I give a crap unless it is one of you. If it is one of you, let me know, otherwise they can punt that email.

That said, they are in such financial woes that it makes me hesitate to even consider something that may have 0 factory support later. Until they prove they are sticking around, I am not sold.

 

[erover82]

As a startup I'm not sure they're really in financial woes yet. It takes huge amounts of capital (debt) to build an automotive company, so I'd say their position looks normal at this point. Generally a company collapses when the creditors get fed up, but in this case their largest creditor is Ineos itself who will likely be unusually accommodating. Now that production has started we'll get a good picture of business health when the quarterly sales figures start rolling out. Even if sales start off slow, I'd bet the creditors give them a few years grace period to get up and running.

 

[MountainD]

Maybe, but I’ve been following it on the financial side for a while and I’m no stranger to this game. So maybe one of us has some more info, who knows. I’ll admit to not being a big Ratcliffe fan who was one of the biggest Brexit billionaire supporters that , once it happened, moved out of country to avoid paying taxes. Sort of a cheese move and lacks character. The same man that pounded his fist on the table to bring motoring back to GB and builds his truck in France. He’s the same billionaire boys club piece of shit that I’m getting used to. Pumping the crowd to do his bidding then finding a way to not pay his fair share. I like the truck though. Time will tell. I follow him more financially— I follow his truck superficially now.

 

[pfshoen]

Brexit was a protest vote gone wrong, fueled by a massive Bolshevik disinformation campaign and driven by self-promoting clowns like Boris Johnson. Ratcliffe got it wrong, along with a majority of voters. Changing the factory location from GB to the Franco-German border, although cutting against his jingoism, was done for economic reasons, which ultimately trump all else in a businessman's decision tree.
I'm guessing his business judgement is better than his political judgement.
Developing the truck and the business was always going to be a titanic challenge, and vulnerable to unexpected circumstance. It's not on schedule, but it is on. Still way too soon to call it a success or a failure.

 

[FlyersFan76]

Daytime running lamps. Likely required by law?

Law in Canada not in the US though. Kind silly when the rear lights aren't illuminated a little as well.

 

[Eliot]

Bolshevik disinformation campaign

I’m pretty sure the BBC was all in on remaining

 

[blueboy]

Law in Canada not in the US though. Kind silly when the rear lights aren't illuminated a little as well.

Guessing this is driving this:

“In European Union countries, all cars and vans manufactured after 2011 must come equipped with daytime running lights.”

 

[chuckc4]

Borrowing? Didn't they try to buy the old castings from LR? Didn't JLR take them to court over coping the design elements to closely?

I'm fine with it - JLR walked away from this and it motivated someone to make an entirely new car from the ground up. Its a story that has never happened in the automotive world - its an awesome story - and all connections need to be made that this vehicle is not just "barrowing" but took over the flame and made it better - oh and BTW JLR you might want to take notes you Posh Spice sellouts.

I plan on incorporating some of the design elements they have used into my LR127 rebuild as a "tip of the hat" to the new Defender linage. I want this to be successful - I want photos of this pulling the new Defenders out of the mud or towing one home because their airbags went off or the electronics got cross mogenated. Petty as it is...LOL.

Cheers

I love the whole idea of the Grenadier, but seriously, it looks more like a UAZ than a Defender...

 

[brdhmltn]

Is the short bed crew cab pickup subject to chicken tax? Could mean none for the USA.

The reps at the visit I went to said, yes, truck will be subject to chicken tax and they know it will affect sales, but the data they have still says it wouldnt be a loss. Truck is still coming to the USA, but they know it won't sell like hotcakes.

 

[mgreenspan]

Brexit was a protest vote gone wrong, fueled by a massive Bolshevik disinformation campaign and driven by self-promoting clowns like Boris Johnson. Ratcliffe got it wrong, along with a majority of voters.

I don’t know about that. Life seems to be fine in the UK post brexit. The people voted, a majority said leave, the MPs and parties that were against it and dragged their feet on the actual exit lost massively in the last general election because voters were fed up with being lied to about supporting the results of the referendum ultimately.

The politics over here are interesting, but brexit as a whole has not seemed to affect day to day life as much as the rest of the nonsense that goes on.

At the end of the day I expect every individual to do what’s in their best interest regardless of what they say. Same as the hullabaloo about Rishi’s wife’s income being legally exempt from taxes. If people don’t like the rules, change them. Don’t blame people for playing within the bounds of the rules set forth for all.

I’m buying a Grenadier stateside. I’ll probably stick to the KZJ95 here in the UK until the summer then ship it to Memphis to use as my “airport car”, sell my GX470, and buy a Prado 150.