When someone says they wish a company made a true off-road-ready rig, they don’t mean what they say. Sure, some folks do, but I’d wager the majority who make that claim don’t actually want to live with a real off-road capable vehicle on a daily basis. I do, though. I truly enjoy burly boxes on wheels that compromise on-road comfort for rugged, adventure-ready platforms. That’s why, after spending a week with one, I absolutely love the Ineos Grenadier.
The Grenadier takes the spirit of the prior version of the Land Rover Defender but brings it a bit more into the modern day. The real current-gen Defender does that bit, too, but it seems to prioritize luxury and style over actual ruggedness. Yes, the Defender is still good at getting dirty once you swap on the right tires. But the Ineos is ready to rock right out of the box and to a far greater degree than the Land Rover.
We have a vehicle with proper underbody protection, heavy-duty parts, live axles, triple-locking diffs, and a BMW-borrowed straight-six turbo engine in the nose. The steel wheels are not flashy but look proper for the job. The doors are rated to carry 80-pounds, each. The roof is already wired for you to add accessories. And the interior has drain holes for when you really get messy. Finally, the whole thing is assembled in a plant formally owned by Mercedes, which means the facility is capable of churning out truly well-built vehicles.
The issue that folks will have with the Grenadier is the steering and on-road manners. This is where those who claim will split with those who truly want. The Grenadier uses a recirculating ball setup. It doesn’t come back to center like your standard road car, and it often requires taking out the steering you’ve dialed in, which is something you get used to very quickly. It does require a bit more babysitting at highway speeds than some will be used to. However, as someone who daily drives a 1991 Montero, the Grenadier feels rock solid and sure footed. To me, it feels fantastic.
Couple all of the above with the power provided by what’s essentially the same motor you’d find in a Toyota Supra, it just detuned a bit, and I fell in love with this brick of a thing. So much so that I am doing the mental math to figure out how much I can get for my Montero and, eventually, my Mustang if I ever finish it. That also assumes I have my Mercedes wagon running by that point. Those are all big ifs, but they are weighing on my mind… because that’s how much I want a Grenadier, but I’d go with the pickup-truck Quartermaster version.
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