Australian pricing announced for Ineos Grenadier

INEOS Automotive has today revealed pricing for its upcoming five-door Grenadier four-wheel drive of $84,500 before on-road costs for the Australian market or $NZ93,500 (plus ORCs) in New Zealand before it goes sale locally in late 2022.

This price is for the entry-level two-seat wagon Grenadier that Ineos says will be a “no frills but capable package that’s entirely fit for purpose” and match rivals’ braked towing capacities in the segment at 3500kg.

Further variants, including a dual-cab ute, are expected to be announced in time with up to four models to be offered overall.

Equipment and specification details of the model are yet to be announced, but Ineos says buyers will not be slugged a premium for a diesel engine, the price for the 3.0-litre BMW-powered Grenadier identical irrespective of fuel type.

The pricing places the Grenadier places the Grenadier in almost direct competition with the strong selling (76 Series) Toyota LandCruiser Workmate Troop Carrier that retails for $67,400 (plus ORCs) and tops out with the 70^th Anniversary Edition at $78,500 (plus ORCs).

It is also positioned squarely between the now-defunct Land Rover Defender 110, which started from $47,500 (plus ORCs) when sales were discontinued in 2016, and the gone-but-not-forgotten Mercedes-Benz G Professional 300 CDI, which was listed at $109,000 (plus ORCs) when sales ceased in 2019.

Order books for the Grenadier open this October, with first deliveries slated for the fourth quarter of 2022. Australia is expected to receive only a five-door wagon variant of the Grenadier initially, while a dual-cab utility offering is still 18-24 months away.

With a design based heavily on the original Land Rover Defender, the Grenadier is the newest four-wheel-drive vehicle to join Australia’s plenteous new car fleet. Its maker says it is aimed primarily at those who work and operate within Australia’s utilitarian, rural, and regional areas of the country, and addresses a shortfall in the availability of such models globally.

Initial production estimates place annual numbers between 25,000 and 30,000 units with an increase possible “if demand dictates”. Australia is likely to receive around 1,000 units at launch with “a few hundred” examples slated for the New Zealand market.

Promising to “do things differently”, the start-up company unveiled its Australian sales and distribution models – including how the brand will interact largely with a regional audience – and its aftersales strategies this week, ahead of the Grenadier’s official launch in July 2022.

Speaking to GoAuto via weblink, Ineos Automotive APAC head of sales and marketing, Justin Hocevar, said Australian customers will be able to place an order for the Grenadier next month, while outlining warranty and aftersales support details of the utilitarian model.

“There’s been a lot of surveying and engagement with potential customers to distil down what it is they want from our retail strategy, and from the sales and customer service experience,” explained Mr Hocevar.

“What we learnt from that is that a direct distribution model with online and face-to-face sales and support is essential to the success of Grenadier in Australia and New Zealand, and we’re working closely with our agency partners to ensure a ‘customer service before sales’ approach.

“We’ll have bricks and mortar showrooms that will be commensurate with the brand. They won’t be gin palaces, just comfortable and purposeful facilities where the Grenadier is the hero, and where the showroom is located within reasonable proximity to the Grenadier’s customer base.”

Mr Hocevar added that Grenadier Australia Pty Ltd has already signed a letter of nomination with 10 partners in 13 locations across Australia and New Zealand, the latter through the Armstrong’s dealer network.

The brand aims to have 26 locations operable in Australia by the time the model is launched, including four in New Zealand. By the time the dual-cab ute arrives in late 2023, these numbers will grow to 34 and four respectively.

“We aim to have at least one metropolitan location per state with the remainder of our facilities in regional areas,” Mr Hocevar continued.

“Some of these facilities will be service-only centres with the remainder of our servicing requirements being handled by the 120-strong Bosch service network across the country. We’ll also provide thorough 3D online manuals so that customers can service their own vehicles. We want to be as open and accessible as we can.”

Locally, the Grenadier will be offered with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and roadside assistance plan with capped-price service plans available for the duration of the warranty period.

Mr Hocevar says the brand’s clean-sheet approach to aftersales support means it can offer remote-area customers unprecedented support, extending service availability to “4x4-oriented dealerships and accessories businesses” in regional markets.

As mentioned, the Grenadier is powered by BMW-sourced 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines developing 210kW/450Nm and 183kW/550Nm respectively. Both are paired with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission only.

A hydrogen fuel-cell driveline co-developed with Hyundai is also in the wings.

The Grenadier offers permanent all-wheel drive with selectable low-range gearing via an in-house developed transfer case.

Centre and rear differential locks are standard issue, as are hill-descent control and four-wheel disc brakes. Bespoke 17 and 18-inch steel and alloy wheels are available, all shod with BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres.

The Grenadier has undergone over 1.8 million kilometres of testing – 300,000km of which have been conducted off-road – as part of its development, ensuring the model can tackle the world’s harshest environments, Ineos Automotive says.

A hundred prototype models were tested in more than 15 countries across the globe, including Australia and New Zealand.

Nothing unnecessary is included in the entry model’s hose-down cabin, meaning manual seat adjustment, a keyed ignition, and smartphone-supported navigation. All electronic items are installed above the Grenadier’s maximum wading depth.

The aircraft-inspired centre stack includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen and controls for HVAC, infotainment, idle-stop and parking aids, while all four-wheel drive associated controls – including pre-wired spare switches for aftermarket accessories – are set in a central overhead panel.

All switches and controls are designed to be “glove friendly”, as is the saddle leather steering wheel that Ineos Automotive says is designed to patina with age.

The Grenadier measures 4927mm long by 1930mm wide and is 2033mm high with a 2922mm wheelbase. This makes it 288mm longer, 140mm wider and 12mm taller than the last of the original Land Rover Defender 110s, with an additional 128mm between the axles.

Further specification details and pricing will be announced closer to the Grenadier’s local launch.