INEOS Grenadier First passenger ride in the much-vaunted new off-roader

INEOS GRENADIER

The off-road world is waiting with baited breath for the vehicle hailed as the spiritual successor to the old Land Rover Defender. Here’s where we fi nd out how it’s shaping up… the old Land Rover Defender. Here’s where we fi nd out how it’s shaping up…

AS INEOS AUTOMOTIVE PROGRESSES TOWARDS next summer’s launch of the new Grenadier, the fl edgling 4x4 manufacturer continues to do things its own way. It revealed the vehicle’s exterior design early in the development process and more recently unveiled its cabin, allowing the press to sit inside a prototype model – something few other manufacturers are ever willing to do.

More recently, the company embarked on a UK roadshow, presenting the vehicle to prospective customers – again, in prototype form – and allowing

next summer’s them to experience it through a series of off-road passenger rides. Actually driving one remains a treat for the future, however the event gave us a fi rst opportunity to understand what the Grenadier is all about, albeit in fairly moderate terrain. We were also able to chat with senior engineers from the INEOS programme, who answered a number of the questions we were left with following the static interior reveal event we reported on in last month’s issue of this magazine.

them to experience it through a series of off-road passenger rides. Actually

With live beam axles at either end, the Grenadier is designed to lift itself over the ground and keep its wheels pressed down on to the surface wherever possible. Articulation looks good, from what we’ve seen so far, and INEOS says its use of a fi ve-link rear set-up hasn’t detracted from that. A feature we should all be pleased to see is that the chassis is galvanised – so the sort of galloping rot that overtakes so many other off-road vehicles shouldn’t be a problem here

The fi rst of these concerns the use of fi ve-link rear suspension with upper and lower trailing arms and a panhard rod, rather than the inherently more fl exible A-frame set-up used to such effect in the original Range Rover and carried over into several other Land Rover products. Why did INEOS choose this arrangement for a vehicle designed fi rst and foremost with off-road use in mind?

The answer we were given is that in the early stages of development, three-link suspension was actively considered – and fully investigated as part of the CAD process. The engineers’ conclusion was that fi ve-link would deliver better road manners, but they disagreed when we suggested that this was a compromise – saying that they could achieve the same articulation this way as with an A-frame set-up. tion this way as with an A-frame set-up.

They also pointed out that with locking differentials available in the Grenadier’s front and rear axles, maintaining traction over rough ground will be about more than just keeping wheels on the ground.

We also brought up the question of mud traps in the chassis, having spotted areas in the rear suspension link mounts which we thought would be vulnerable to collecting the stuff. As a consequence, something else we learned from the event was that the chassis will in fact be galvanised – an impressive investment for INEOS to make in the Grenadier’s long-term fi tness for purpose.

The vehicle’s ZF gearbox is an eight-speed automatic unit. There’s no manual option, however the box can be taken over by the driver and will remain in gear as commanded – something that can make the difference between success and failure off-road. This couldn’t be demonstrated the way we wanted, as the prototype vehicle wasn’t able to be used in low range, but production versions should be able to crawl down extreme descents on compression braking alone.

Primarily, what we observed about the vehicle during our passenger ride was that it covers ground with remarkable refi nement. There’s very little drivetrain noise and nothing signifi cant in the way of bumping from the suspension; especially considering this was in a prototype vehicle whose transmission tunnel was sitting uncovered, it’s extraordinarily quiet.

It’s very smooth, too. Being in high range at this kind of speed, the box would have constantly been shunting between fi rst, second and perhaps occasionally third gear, but there was literally no sign of any shifts happening. With its occupants well looked after by excellent Recaro seats, it promises to be a very comfortable way of covering ground in typical offroad situations.

How it will deal with more radical stuff, we’re yet to discover. And of course there’s the small matter of what it’s like on the road. So far, however, it’s a case of not just so good but so very good. it’s a case of not just so good but so very good.