If I’m honest, I’ve been resistant to the INEOS Grenadier. Partly because I’m a recovering car snob, but mostly because when everyone around me goes gaga for something, I tend to cross my arms and wait to be convinced. Some would call me stubborn.
So while my local parking lots filled up with what I considered a lame substitute for a proper British off-roader, I stood firm. Arms crossed. Unimpressed.
Turns out, it took three days in the Canadian woods to make me drink the Kool-Aid. Or, in this case, the Ribena.
The New Malibu Shopping Cart
Grenadier production began in 2022, with deliveries to America following in late 2023. By May 2026, INEOS was preparing to deliver its 15,000th Grenadier in the United States. That’s a remarkable footprint for a vehicle that didn’t exist just a few years ago.
In my world, you’d be hard-pressed to find a parking lot on LA’s West Side without a healthy showing of Grenadiers. My neighbor has one. My BFF has one in Florida, too. So I finally decided to figure out why it’s so appealing. Isn’t this just that thing that looks like a Defender but has a BMW engine?
More Than A Defender With A BMW Engine
Listen, as a BMW engine enthusiast with a nasty Land Rover habit, I’ll admit that this combination is wildly tempting. Especially since my last Landy burst into flames right after an expensive rebuild. But that’s hardly enough to convince me to throw six figures at a fledgling automaker. Not that I’m immune to questionable automotive decisions. I just like to know exactly where I’m wasting my money.
Among my regrets is my brief fling with a Defender 90. As much as I loved its beefy stance and the idea of its capabiity, It was so impractical that I sold it after just two months. It drove like a John Deere, with a clutch so heavy it turned my left thigh to stone, and a gearbox that required a firm hand and a prayer. Mechanically, it seemed to attract every possible malfunction and then invite each under the hood for an extended stay.
The Grenadier, on the other hand, was engineered with reliability as a priority. What a remarkably un-British thing to do!
Does this mean I can leave my fire extinguisher at home?
A Tractor, a BMW, and a Billionaire Walk Into a Bar
That brings us to the mythology surrounding this brand. The story goes that INEOS Chairman Jim Ratcliffe, a 4×4 enthusiast, was drinking with friends at a London pub when he sketched the original Grenadier concept on a £5 note, slapped it on the ceiling, and decided to build a car company.
It’s a great story. Also a little revolting.
A billionaire dreams up a car over a beer? Big deal. We’ve all done that. The difference is HE ACTUALLY HAD THE MONEY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
It’s tempting to roll your eyes at it. But here’s the problem: What if the result is genuinely great? What if it scratches an automotive itch that nobody else is bothering to scratch? And what if it makes people happy?
Should we hold that against him?
(photo: INEOS)
The INEOS Grenadier > Sum of Its Parts
Whether we like it or not, EVERY modern car is a multinational parts party. The COVID chip shortage was a brutal reminder. Most big brands (Toyota, Ford, VW) walk a tightrope between touting their suppliers (e.g., Brembo brakes, Fox shocks) and deflecting the fact that they all buy the same Chinese door handles, sensors, and glass. So when INEOS says it sources from all over, it’s not that interesting. It’s the approach that makes it cool.
INEOS doesn’t just buy “the best” parts or choose the most prestigious partners. It picks components less likely to break off-road, stuff that’ll last forever, and stuff you can fix in the middle of the Mojave without writing code.
Here’s the short list of the Grenadier’s bragging rights:
- ZF 8-speed transmission (like oh, I dunno, the Cayenne)
- Bilstein dampers (no fancy air suspension cuz that delightful sh*t breaks)
- Carraro axles (Italian tractor company like oh, I dunno, Lamborghini)
The list goes on. On paper, it’s an impressive collection of hardware. But I didn’t understand what made the Grenadier special until I stopped listening to people explain it and started driving.
INEOS Grenadier
Although I got a deep, impressive debrief before my drive, I forgot everything the minute I got behind the wheel. Not because the car wasn’t captivating, but because my co-driver, Connie Peters, is a friend, and we had urgent girl stuff to catch up on.
Somewhere deep in the Canadian wilderness, Connie and I had settled into a rhythm. We were following the lead vehicle, chatting away like we were on our way to lunch rather than navigating terrain that would send most SUVs running for the comfort of the nearest gated community. Here and there, I’d get nice feedback from the steering, a clunk under the wheel reminding me I had just traversed a boulder, or a hilarious bounce from a dip in the track.
Without multiple screens tracking my every move, a mode for every terrain type, or suspension that sterilizes the 4×4 experience, I was hyper-aware of what was happening outside of the vehicle. I was driving through an unpaved Canadian forest! I was just one field pee away from a bear attack.
At one point, Connie and I fell silent, and she turned to me, smiled, and said, “This is fun!” And she was right. Somewhere along the way, it became clear that we needed to stop treating the Grenadier like another vehicle that would do everything for us and started enjoying the experience of actually driving it.
Then I thought about my old Defender 90. I’d loved the idea of that car more than the experience of driving it. Here was a vehicle with much of the same old-school character, but instead of making me work just to keep it moving, it made me want to explore with it. And then it hit me:
For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t just impressed by what a car could do. I was interested in what I could do with it.
Back To Reality (And The Grocery Store)
When I got to the airport, I texted my BFF in Florida to tell her how much I enjoyed her car and to share my off-road experience. Once again, she was miles ahead:
I’m not suggesting everyone needs a vehicle capable of crossing a continent to pick up a carton of milk. But after three days in the Canadian woods, I understand why someone might want one.
In a world where our attention is being pulled in a million directions, the Grenadier invites us into the 4×4 experience. It’s not trying to make driving effortless. It’s trying to make driving worthwhile.
Now, About That Drink
And that billionaire I was so quick to judge? I’m starting to appreciate what he’s created. Hell, I might even buy him a beer.
Although I’d probably still make him pay.
Do you have an INEOS Grenadier? Want one? Hit my socials @motorheadmama. (Unless you’re my husband, because he’s already made himself abundantly clear.)