INEOS AUTOMOTIVE TO BUILD "UNCOMPROMISING" 4X4 OFF-ROADER
INEOS sees a gap in the market for an uncompromising off-roader. The business is prepared to invest many hundreds of millions to produce a new vehicle, the Grenadier, and hopes this can be done in the UK.
Building a rugged 4X4
Following the completion of a six-month feasibility study, INEOS confirmed that it’s going ahead and building a brand new uncompromising 4X4 off-roader. While the company is one of the largest manufacturers in the world, it will be the first time that INEOS has produced such a vehicle. “This is a fantastically exciting project,” says Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS Chairman. “We want to build the world’s purest 4X4 and are aiming it at explorers, farmers and off-road enthusiasts across the globe.”
The company is expecting to spend many hundreds of millions on the project and is determined that the new off-road vehicle will not only fill a perceived gap in the market, but also aim to provide improvements in build quality and reliability. Identification of a suitable manufacturing location will be a part of the next phase of the project and the company will look at UK sites alongside other European options.
The project is run by Dirk Heilmann, formerly head of Engineering and Technology at INEOS. Dirk, now CEO of INEOS Automotive has already started recruiting a team of automotive experts to help build the Grenadier. He says: “This is an amazing project for everyone involved. Our job is to create the world’s best 4X4 and we’re already moving forward with our plans.”
How the Grenadier is inspired by 4X4 icons of the past
The project is the brainchild of INEOS Chairman, Jim Ratcliffe, who was a fan of the original Land Rover Defender. When it ceased production, Jim saw a gap in the market for an uncompromising off-roader that stood for adventure and active driving but also had the capability to be a work and utility machine.
WE WANT TO BUILD THE WORLD’S PUREST 4X4 AND ARE AIMING IT AT EXPLORERS, FARMERS AND OFF-ROAD ENTHUSIASTS ACROSS THE GLOBE.
This new off-road model takes its inspiration from legendary 4X4 vehicles of the past. It takes the very best aspects of their design while adding modern INEOS know-how to create a truly unique vehicle.
The target market is global and includes agriculture and forestry workers, explorers and adventurers as well as traditional 4X4 fans that simply enjoy an authentic off-road driving experience. The plan is for an extensive, intensive testing programme designed to help make the Grenadier uniquely capable.
INEOS is determined that its new vehicle will offer a real and pure alternative to the current crop of standardised ‘jelly-mould’ SUVs.
“I’m a great admirer of the old Land Rover Defender and have enormous respect for its off-road capability,” says Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS Chairman, “and our new 4X4 has been inspired by it. But whilst our off-roader might share its spirit, our new vehicle will be a major improvement on previous models.