Your eyes do not deceive you, you are looking at a new car that resembles something of a cross between a Land Rover Defender and a Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen. Except the vehicle before you is the Ineos Grenadier. And, news from the company’s local representative is that it will be making its way to South Africa in the not too distant future.

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First attempt

The Ineos Grenadier is the first product of Ineos Automotive. Ineos is a multi-billion dollar petro-chemical company. Company chairman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a car enthusiast and experienced adventurer, identified a gap in the market for a utilitarian, hard-working 4×4. He formed Ineos Automotive Limited and a team of professionals was assembled to bring his vision to reality. Ratcliffe was probably talking a dig at Land Rover as the new Defender, while probably quite capable (we’ve yet to experience it) is now also quite pricey (as you can see at this link), which means that the likelihood of anyone venturing off-road is somewhat diminished.

Tough as nails

Info released by the company today says the Ineos Grenadier will combine rugged British spirit with German engineering. Ineos Automotive has partnered with Magna Steyr (the same chaps who build the current Toyota Supra) for engineering expertise. The Grenadier is said to be an uncompromising 4×4 built from the ground up to overcome all conditions, wherever you are in the world.

Form follows function

Ineos’ styling team placed function as a priority and let form follow, hence the shape you see before you. An all-new ladder-frame chassis let the designers create the appearance and footprint they wished. The proportions allow for plenty of interior space, including being able to accommodate a euro pallet. Square exterior lines are for accurate placement on narrow tracks.

The round front and rear lamps are the same units on the left and the right, which makes parts availability that much easier. The front fenders are strong enough to sit on and there are chunky door strips to avoid body damage. Roof bars and roof strips allow loads to be mounted and secured directly without a roof rack, though a roof rack can be added. There is even a storage box on the rear side that is accessible from the exterior for wet or smelly equipment. Exterior wiring, with exit points to the front and the rear of the roof is included as standard.