Ineos Automotive owes its existence to a dream of adapting a legendary off-roader for the contemporary motoring world, but given the lofty asking prices (and lengthy option lists) of the British brand’s models, how much are YOU willing to pay for nostalgia?
Haven’t some of the world’s best (and also, often, worst) ideas been conceived in bars out of scribbled back-of-a-napkin propositions? Depending on who you ask – or believe, the jet engine, Linux operating system and Velcro were all conceived over a few tipples, as was the Ineos Grenadier off-roader.
When it comes to off-roaders, either by coincidence or try-hard marketing spin, the story goes that the Ineos Grenadier was indeed birthed in an eponymous London pub by chemicals giant Ineos’ owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe (pictured above), as far back as 2016.
According to legend, he’d reportedly previously approached Land Rover for the rights to continue building the OG Defender, but was turned down, not that that snag dissuaded Sir Jim whatsoever…
As one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet (and presumably bolstered by a fair degree of Dutch courage), Sir Jim and his associates set about planning to build a Defender-that-was-not-a-Defender; a retromodern clone that benefited from high-tech componentry, but retained the spirit of the original.
Just how hard could it be?
The common availability of off-the-shelf parts and global sourcing means that nearly anyone can build a car today: you only need to be a coachbuilder and have access to an assembly line. As for the rest, the Grenadier is assembled using BMW engines, Brembo brakes, Eibach suspension and ZF gearboxes.
And sure enough, the generous ground clearance and suspension travel, ladder-frame chassis, solid axles, low-range transfer case and exposed screwheads all pointed to a rugged, utilitarian go-anywhere boulder-buster in the spirit of the Toyota Land Cruiser 76, Jeep Wrangler and yes, the old Defender.
The vision of a supremely capable and modern, made-over Defender has all the hallmarks of a slam-dunk winner aimed at rose-tinted nostalgists and retro-cool hipsters.
Yet somewhere in the process, something went wrong. Sir Jim’s noble, almost Robin Hood-like vision of bridging past and present for the pathfinding purist, with an industrial, relatively affordable modern-day overlander, stumbled at the final hurdle – affordability.
Ignoring the commercial variants of the Ineos Grenadier for the moment, the 3.0T (turbopetrol) and 3.0TD (turbodiesel) variants of the 5-seat Grenadier Station Wagon cost R1 717 100 before options, with the Fieldmaster version adding another R145 000. Read our review of the 3.0TD Trialmaster Edition.
New Ineos Grenadier Specs & Prices in South Africa
Search for a new/used Ineos Grenadier listed on Cars.co.za
The most obvious Grenadier alternative…
According to Cars.co.za’s New Car Specs, the most affordable Land Rover Defender 110 (5-door) is the D250 X-Dynamic SE, which costs R1 801 100. “But that’s even more expensive than the entry-level Grenadier, silly,” I hear you say. Indeed, it is, but in contrast with the relatively new (and rather niche) Ineos, there is a glut of keener-priced demo and slightly used Defenders on the used market.
New Land-Rover Defender Specs & Prices in South Africa
Search for a new/used Land Rover Defender 110 listed on Cars.co.za
Watch Ciro De Siena’s video review of the 2021 Land Rover Defender:
Besides, the big gripe with the Grenadier’s new-vehicle price is that it excludes a multitude of features.
Ineos Automotive seems to have taken a leaf from the German premium marques by only offering the Grenadier with a moderate spec level; buyers have to add the options as expensively bundled extras: if you want front and rear locking diffs and/or chunkier all-terrain tyres, that’ll cost an extra R48 250.
Watch Jacob Moshokoa’s recent launch review of the Jeep Wrangler:
New Jeep Wrangler Specs & Prices in South Africa
Search for a new/used Jeep Wrangler listed on Cars.co.za
More basic conveniences, such as electrically operated side mirrors, a rear-view camera or front PDC and some more charging points? Another R33 500, which pushes the price up to just below R1.8 million.
The weak ZAR-GBP exchange rate is certainly an impediment, but the fact is R1.8 million for what was meant to be a glorified off-road kit car (and of which its spiritual predecessor was intentionally designed as industrial so as to facilitate DIY roadside repairs) – is a lot of dead presidents in anyone’s language.
Watch Ciro De Siena’s review of the Toyota Land Cruiser 76:
New Toyota Land Cruiser 76 Specs & Prices in South Africa
Search for a new or used Toyota Land Cruiser 76 listed on Cars.co.za
So, much of that plucky maverick spirit that sparked the creation of the Grenadier no longer exists either in philosophy or execution: you pay for the privilege and can forget about fixing it with nothing but your Leatherman and your wife’s bikini bottom if you’ve whacked one off of its half-shafts in the Richtersveld.
That’s an exceedingly tough case to make when a Toyota Land Cruiser 76 2.8GD-6 station wagon LX auto, which marries similar levels of simplicity with capability as the Ineos, costs R1 045 300…
Watch Ciro De Siena’s video review of the Mahindra Scorpio-N:
And a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2.0T Rubicon costs R1 299 900; for adventurers with a considerably smaller budget, the Mahindra Scorpio-N is a 7-seater (if you want to take gran along on safari) – 4Xplor variants’ prices begin at R587 999. Also, don’t forget the Suzuki Jimny 5-door, starting from R434 900.
Prices & Specifications of the Mahindra Scorpio-N
Find a new/used Suzuki Scorpio-N listed for sale on Cars.co.za
Find an older, even more affordable used Suzuki Scorpio on Cars.co.za
Watch Ciro De Siena’s video review of the Suzuki Jimny 5-Door:
Prices & Specifications of the Suzuki Jimny
Find a new/used Suzuki Jimny listed for sale on Cars.co.za
To some, there are no alternatives to a Grenadier
Considering its undeniably cool backstory and, importantly, inarguable off-road credentials, it’s hard to bet against the Ineos Grenadier, provided, as ever, that you can afford one. But you have to consider the model within the broader context of nostalgia becoming a profitable commodity in the car world.
Legacy was also the one asset that Land Rover wanted to protect most (upon hearing the suggestion of a retromodern remake of the Defender by an interloper) and the very, however unmeasurable, reason why you’re paying more for memories than actual metal if you’re gunning for an Ineos Grenadier.
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