Ineos is on the way to delivering its first Grenadier SUVs to American buyers. The first U.S.-spec cars have rolled out of the former Mercedes factory in Hambach, France, and are expected to be united with customers in November. Canadian Ineos fans can put the champagne back in the fridge, though: they won’t get their Grenadiers until January 2024.
The company’s order bank includes more than 7,000 reservations from the U.S., making America the largest market for the tough off-roader that was conceived by British millionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe to fill a whole left by the demise of the classic Land Rover Defender.
Ineos says it has invested over €50 million ($53 m) in the Hambach site since buying it from Mercedes in January 2021, with the upgrades including a new semi-automated paintshop, fully-automated body shop, and a new quality center. Over on the other side of the Atlantic Ineos Automotive’s American team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, is preparing to announce its first wave of dealers.
Related: Ineos Cracks Down On Grenadier Flippers
North American Grenadiers feature the same ladder chassis and beam axles as the European models, but while most countries get the choice of BMW-supplied petrol and diesel inline sixes, only the gasoline version is offered in the U.S. The 3.0-liter B58 bi-turbo motor is rated at 282 hp (286 PS) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) and gives the Grenadier a zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time of 8.6 seconds.
Prices start at $71,500 for a base model with no options, while both the off-road-ready Trailmaster (diff locks, snorkel intake, all-terrain tires) and more luxury-biased Fieldmaster (alloy wheels, heated seats, leather trim) are priced at $79,190. Earlier this year Ineos revealed the Grenadier Quartermaster, a dual-cab pickup version of the SUV, and while U.S. prices haven’t been announced, the company has confirmed that the truck will be available in North America during 2024.
Would you buy the Grenadier over a Defender or any of the other no-nonsense SUVs available in North America?
