While Ineos Automotive continues the development of the Defender-inspired Grenadier off-roader, they announced that they will have to push back the start of its production due to “unavoidable delays through 2020”.
The Grenadier was previously scheduled to enter production in late 2021 at the former Smart factory in France, but the company now says that they will start production in July 2022 “at the latest”.
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Ineos, which is owned by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, is currently ramping up the development of the Grenadier, aiming to have 130 “second-phase” prototypes getting tested in extreme environments around the world, accumulating 1.8 million km (1.1 million miles).
“We only have one opportunity to get this right and our quality and performance targets for the Grenadier remain paramount,” said Dirk Heilmann, CEO of Ineos Automotive. “We won’t cut corners. After today’s very positive results we are on track to reach our targets and to allow the start of production in July next year at the latest.”
Earlier this year, engineers have successfully completed the engine calibration under cold weather conditions, with prototypes tested in northern Sweden. The next stage of the Grenadier’s development will involve hot weather testing in locations like the Death Valley in the USA and the sand dunes in the Middle East.
The Ineos Grenadier is based on a ladder-frame chassis designed and engineered in collaboration with Magna Steyr. It will be powered by BMW-sourced six-cylinder petrol and diesel powertrains paired to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and a standard four-wheel-drive system with an optional locking diff in the middle.
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