Can this Defender pretender beat the latest version of the Land Rover legend with its back-to-basics ethos? On sale Now Price from £55,000
Dan Jones Dan.Jones@haymarket.com
THE INEOS GRENADIER looks at first glance like a Stars in Their Eyes-type tribute to the original Land Rover Defender.
And that’s no surprise: the model was dreamt up at a pub called the Grenadier, and its very existence is a tribute to Land Rover’s legendary 4x4. In fact, it’s what many people think today’s Defender 110 should be like.
As a new car company, Ineos is well aware of what an ambitious goal it set itself. As such, its team includes designers and engineers whose CVs include the Mercedes-Benz G-Class luxury SUV. As for the engines, they come from BMW, and you can have a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol or a 3.0-litre diesel.
Your choice will probably depend on whether you’ll spend most of your time on road or off it. While both engines offer loads of power and torque across the rev range, the petrol is smoother and quieter, making it better to drive on Tarmac. The diesel, on the other hand, has just a little more power at low revs, making it easier to take on just about any obstacle.
And we mean just about any obstacle. No matter how hard we tried, including driving up a very steep and icy ascent, we saw no signs of a struggle. That was in part thanks to the optional BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres, which are even more off-road biased than the standard-fit ones.
The brilliant suspension is a big part of the off-road capability too. It takes the sting out of even sharp rock shelves, helping you maintain control just as well as in the Defender, which it comfortably matches for off-road capability.
In contrast, the Grenadier is outclassed on ordinary roads by the air-sprung Defender 110. As is often the case, the off-road talents of the Grenadier compromise its civility on it.
It’s no more uncomfortable than the G-Class, but the suspension is always busy and you feel every lump and bump you drive over. Those chunkier optional tyres will have made things worse (and also create more road noise), but it’s unlikely that the standard tyres will improve comfort dramatically.
The Grenadier’s steering is very light and has loads of lock, which is great when you want gentle inputs during off-roading. Unfortunately, it means you’re continually moving the wheel to keep the car straight when you’re tootling along on public roads, and that gets pretty tiring.
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