Let’s cut to the chase: The 2023 Ineos Grenadier might make anyone wanting a seriously off-road-capable family-sized 4×4 load lugger think twice about a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. We’ve only had a short off-road drive in a pre-production prototype, but it was enough to confirm the live-axle, coil-sprung Grenadier is a confident, comfortable plugger that, despite its obvious styling homage to the old Land Rover Defender, feels as solid and unstoppable as a Toyota Land Cruiser.
We’ve covered the Grenadier’s origins here. Now let’s talk in more detail about the vehicle itself.
Stacking It Up Against Wrangler Unlimited
At 193.9 inches overall, including its rear-mounted spare tire, the body-on-frame Grenadier is 5.5 inches longer, 2.2 inches wider, and 6.4 inches taller than the Wrangler Unlimited. Its 115.0-inch wheelbase is 3.4 inches shorter than that of the Jeep, however. In Rubicon trim, the Jeep has better approach and departure angles—43.9 and 37.0 degrees versus 35.5 and 36.1. But the Grenadier’s shorter wheelbase means its 28.2-degree breakover angle bests the Wrangler’s 22.6-degree number.
The Grenadier’s ground clearance is 10.4 inches, just 0.4 inch shy of the Unlimited Rubicon’s, and it will wade through water 31.5 inches deep without the optional snorkel fitted.
The Grenadier is offered with a choice of BMW turbocharged inline six-cylinder engines—the gas-burning B58, which develops 281 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, and the B57 diesel, which grunts out 245 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The driveline mates a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with a Tremec two-speed high-low transfer case and permanent all-wheel drive with a lockable center differential. Lockers for the rear and front diffs will be available as options.
Wheels are six-lug pattern 17- or 18-inch pieces in either steel or aluminum, each of which can be fitted with either Bridgestone Dueler A/T or BFGoodrich KO2 tires sized 265/70R17 or 255/70R18. The Bridgestones were developed specifically for the Grenadier, while the BFGoodrich KO2s were chosen because of their proven reputation in the aftermarket as a high-capability off-road tire. No matter which combination you choose, you get generous sidewalls for off-road comfort, capability, and durability.
Looks Like a Defender, Except It Doesn’t
Despite design cues unsubtly cribbed from the old Defender—the headlights in the front fenders, the rounded shoulder on the body side, and the cutouts in the roof that echo the famous Land Rover “alpine light” windows—the Grenadier is quite different up close and personal. Proportionally, it’s nothing like the old Landie; much wider and with the front wheels set further back in the body, the touchdown point of the A-pillar closer to the front axle centerline.
It’s different in detail, too. The grille protrudes between the headlights, in part a legacy of the decision to use inline six-cylinder BMW engines instead of the originally planned four-cylinder units, and in part to package the heavy-duty cooling system. The front bumper extends further out from the bodywork to enable the car to meet modern pedestrian protection regulations. Access to the rear load space is via a rear door vertically split into two-thirds and one-third sections, similar to that on the 70-Series Toyota Land Cruiser wagon.
Deep swages in the doors aligned with the door handles—robust push-button types like those used on the old Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen—are for rubbing strips or an optional clip system Ineos insiders call the “Utility Belt.” Along with clips installed under the rearmost side windows, it allows accessories to be affixed to the side of the vehicle. The cutouts in the roof are not windows, but rather recesses with a tube running through them that can be used to secure loads on the roof, or a canopy to the side of the car when parked.
Other neat details include a lockable storage unit that fits into the spare wheel, which is mounted on the larger of the two rear doors with its outside face closest to the car. A stout three-rung ladder, available as an option, can be fitted to the narrower of the rear doors to allow access to the roof.
Climb aboard, and you’ll settle into Recaro seats trimmed in hard-wearing cloth or leather. The steering wheel is a simple two-spoke item, with thumb controls for audio and cruise control on either spoke. There’s no instrument panel behind the wheel, just a small screen inset into the dash that shows all the major warning lights. The speedo, tach, and other readouts are on a configurable screen in the center of the dash. Different display configurations and functions are actuated via a rotary controller on the center console.
A vertical panel under the central air vent, styled to look like something from an aircraft, presents controls for the HVAC system that are all simple large buttons or rotary controls. Continuing the aircraft-cockpit theme is a roof panel that includes the off-road mode and diff-lock controls, as well as 10-amp switches for interior and exterior power outlets. Order the high-load wiring pack, and you get additional switches that handle 25- and 500-amp loads. Four exterior power outlets are situated in the lower forward corners of the roof cutouts.
Moving Through the Muck
Our test car is a two-seat Utility model with the 281-hp gas-powered BMW straight-six under the hood. The engine fires up with typical BMW efficiency. Move the transfer case lever into low range, lock the diff, tug the BMW shifter into D, and point the nose at the gloopy black mud of the old disused coal mine.
It only takes a minute or two for the Grenadier to establish its off-road credentials. It grunts through the deep mud, eases down steep slopes, traverses tricky inclines, and walks across deep gutters with insouciant ease.
Although the B58 BMW engine doesn’t have the same low-end torque as the diesel B57, there’s no need to rush obstacles to maintain momentum—the good axle articulation helps keep the wheels in contact with terra firma, and the eight-speed automatic always seems to be in the right gear. Such is the traction and the sensitivity of the feedback through the chassis, the throttle can be used to deliver precise dollops of power and torque, exactly when needed.
The off-road ride is comfortable, with relatively little head-toss or jolting, courtesy of the variable-rate Eibach coil springs and massive shock absorbers. The steering—non-rack-and-pinion because of the live front axle—feels a little light and low-geared. Production cars will have a different steering tune, says chief engineer Oliver Schilpf.
A Global Competitor
Overall, the Grenadier’s off-road demeanor is more like that of a Land Cruiser than a Wrangler Unlimited, overlaid with a suppleness in the suspension that is reminiscent of the old, coil-sprung Defender. It seems an immensely capable off-road tool, analog rather than digital in its responses, despite its high-tech powertrain.
The Ineos Grenadier has been developed from the outset as a global vehicle. Though production is scheduled to start in July, finalizing the additional certification requirements for the U.S. market means the car is not scheduled to arrive in North America until late in the fall. Pricing has not been confirmed, but the U.K. market suggests the two-seat Utility will be priced from about $65,000, and the Wagon from about $75,000.
Keyword: 2023 Ineos Grenadier Prototype Review: Maybe Think Twice About That Wrangler