Fiddly touchscreens? Fake exhaust tips? We believe drivers deserve better. That’s why we didn’t make another SUV. We built a new generation of 4X4 – made to take on almost anything. This is our story.
The Grenadier story started with a sketch on a £5 note.
Over a drink at the Grenadier pub in London, INEOS chairman and founder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, decided to build a 4X4 that could do the jobs the modern SUV had forgotten. He scribbled his idea on the nearest thing he could find. And to this day, you can find the note still proudly displayed inside the pub
We studied past off-road legends (you know the ones) to see everything that made them tough. Our aim? Build something better. So then we got to work designing our own from the ground up.
To prove it was more than just tough on paper, we tested our prototypes on every terrain we could find – from arctic ice to 14,000 ft high mountains. The aim was simple: break it, then make it stronger.
We got our hands on a world-class production facility originally built by Mercedes-Benz. Then we upgraded it with custom tooling, automated production lines and a dedicated 4X4 assembly process. The Grenadier finally had its home.
We could’ve written a press release to debut the Grenadier. Instead, we sent it tearing up the iconic hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. We certainly weren’t the fastest. But to get the crowd screaming, we didn’t have to be.
“We set out a vision to build the world’s best utilitarian 4X4, and we have done just that.”
SIR JIM RATCLIFFE, CHAIRMAN & CEO, INEOS
“At INEOS, the possibility of success is always the presumption.”
Quentin Willson, motoring journalist
“Expedition 1.0 has been an amazing experience, and it's incredibly rewarding to see the project come to life. I want to thank everyone who helped make this incredible milestone possible. This is just the beginning.”
Shaun White, Founder of The Snow League
Sir Jim established the three non-negotiables behind his new ultimate 4X4: functional design, serious durability and uncompromising off-road capability. Every bolt had to pass the test.
When you know what you need, you don’t shop around. So we went straight to Magna Steyr – a 4X4 engineering specialist with decades of experience – to turn our sketches into steel. A year later, BMW got the nod for their TwinPower Turbo petrol and diesel engines to power the Grenadier.
We let in the cameras to show fans a raw, unpolished view of the design and build. From frame welds to cabin design, Building the Grenadier captures the thinking behind some of our most important engineering choice.
We finished up testing on Austria’s Schöckl Mountain – one of the toughest off-road test tracks in the world. The Grenadier had officially earned its stripes.
Following the first production of Grenadiers, we invited motoring journalists on a 32-day road trip we called Expedition 1.0. Their response confirmed our testing results: the Grenadier could eat up brutal, real-world conditions with ease. Not bad for a 4X4 dreamed up in a pub.
INEOS Automotive is a subsidiary of INEOS Group, a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products. It was founded by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Yes, INEOS Automotive is a British company, headquartered in London. The Grenadier was designed and engineered with British spirit and German precision.
Yes, INEOS Automotive is a British company, headquartered in London. The Grenadier was designed and engineered with British spirit and German precision.
Yes, INEOS Automotive is a British company, headquartered in London. The Grenadier was designed and engineered with British spirit and German precision.
