British chemical manufacturer Ineos upset the SUV apple cart in 2020 when it showed off its new Grenadier concept. Created to fill the gap left by the discontinued, classic Land Rover Defender, the Ineos particularly upset the Land Rover folks in Coventry in the United Kingdom. Thing is, the Grenadier was designed to resemble the 'likeness' of the iconic Defender, but with a modern and refined drivetrain.Not surprisingly, Land Rover filed a lawsuit. Ineos won. The Grenadier started rolling off the production line and found a ready market. Today, the Ineos SUV continues to box above its weight, taking the fight to the likes of the new Land Rover Defender and Jeep Wrangler. Here's how the three four-wheel drive rigs stack up against each other. A Man With A (Land Rover) Dream Collecting Cars The story of the Grenadier goes something like this. In 2016, after a staggering 68-year production run, the original Land Rover Defender reached the end of its life, with modern emissions and safety regulations finally catching up with it. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the man behind the Ineos chemical manufacturing empire, and a keen Defender fan, realized there may still be a ready market for an old-school Defender in the overland and farming sectors. So he approached Land Rover, offering to buy the Defender manufacturing tooling and jigs and make his own version of it, keeping the original Defender dream alive.But Land Rover would not budge, preferring to put the original Defender to pasture and focusing its efforts on the all-new version. And so Sir Ratcliffe landed up in his favorite pub in London, with a couple of his friends. The Defender came up, and Ratcliffe shared his story about Land Rover's snub of his proposal. One of his friends with an engineering background apparently suggested to the Ineos billionaire that he should create his own model. And so, the rough outline sketch of the vehicle that would become the Grenadier, so called because the conversation took place in the pub, was drawn on a banknote.The year was 2017. And so Ratcliffe set about turning his dream into a reality, creating an SUV that could take the fight to the new Land Rover Defender and the erstwhile Jeep Wrangler, and beat them. Creating The Ultimate Defender Tribute Ineos Developing a new SUV from scratch that could beat the new Defender and the latest Wrangler would require a substantial investment, such as more than $1.5 billion. But that was exactly what Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe did. He recruited the best of the best in the engineering industry and set about creating the ultimate tribute to the original Defender. Since Ineos started with a blank canvas, the development of the vehicle also allowed engineers to right a few of the original Defender's wrongs, adding a new dimension of refinement and luxury to a relatively utilitarian, highly capable four-wheel-drive package.The result is an SUV that most certainly resembles the original Defender, but it is an altogether modern, up-to-date machine under the familiar skin. The all-new Grenadier, after millions of miles of testing around the world, made its debut in 2021. This is after Land Rover filed a lawsuit against Ineos about the 'likeness' of the Grenadier to its discontinued Defender, but the court ruled in the Grenadier's favor.IneosTrue to its utilitarian roots, the Grenadier comes with a tough ladder-frame chassis, a permanent four-wheel-drive system, Carraro live axles and heavy-duty coil springs, an eight-speed automatic gearbox linked to a two-speed transfer case, a center differential lock, the option of front and rear differential lockers, as well as various electronic off-road driving modes. The result is a highly capable 4WD with ample wheel articulation... the very essence of a great off-road vehicle, ensuring the vehicle maintains high levels of mechanical grip with wheels in contact with terra firma, with the electronics only stepping into the ring in extreme situations.Ineos Ratcliffe and his development team went all in with the engine and gearbox options, too. Ineos entered a partnership with car company BMW, with the German firm's famed straight-six engines, both in gas and diesel formats, coupled to a state-of-the-art ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, adding plenty of performance and refinement to the Grenadier deal.The result is one highly capable SUV that is also quite at home on asphalt (unlike the original Defender, which often had some dodgy on-road manners). It's certainly not perfect. By sticking to the original Defender's likeness, there are inevitably compromises in the cabin's ergonomics. But to be sure, if you're used to driving an old Defender, the Grenadier's cabin will seem like a sumptuous spaceship, with all the luxuries in the game.Ineos So the Grenadier is a pretty good all-rounder, both on and off the beaten track. But is it good enough to out-4WD the latest Defender and the home-grown Wrangler? A Three-Way Dust-Up 2025 INEOS Grenadier Fieldmaster front, water crossingThe all-new Land Rover Defender made its debut in the USA in 2020. And unlike its iconic predecessor, which inspired the Ineos Grenadier, the latest Defender has become a more mainstream luxury SUV rather than a rig designed for going far from the beaten track.The SUV comes with an electronically controlled air suspension system that can lift the ride height. But the model lacks the wheel articulation afforded by the live axles fitted to the Grenadier and Wrangler. Hence, the Land Rover has to rely more on its electronic traction aids to maintain momentum when the going gets really tough.Land RoverDriving the new Defender in a tough off-road environment can be done with the extra clearance afforded by the air suspension, and some suitable tires added to the deal. However, it is far more at home on a rough gravel path than on the Rubicon Trail. If that air suspension system picks up any problem... well, you are not going anywhere soon. There's also the ongoing consideration of Land Rover reliability.The Defender is also available with a more robust, traditional coil-spring suspension setup. This setup is ultimately more reliable from a four-wheeling perspective. Still, without the additional clearance provided by the air suspension and the Defender's independent suspension, the wheels wouldn't remain in contact with the ground, even on some minor obstacles.StellantisThe Jeep Wrangler Rubicon remains the quintessential off-road-capable SUV that can tackle considerable obstacles. Selling at a competitive price, the Rubicon features on the shopping list of many four-wheeling enthusiasts. As a bonus, you can find every aftermarket accessory on the planet, allowing owners to create unique Wranglers that not only look cool, but can go just about anywhere, too.That's thanks to the Jeep's well-proven, if slightly dated, underpinnings. This includes two Dana live axles and a front sway bar disconnect system, which allows for a heck of a lot of wheel articulation. And as mentioned, wheels that remain in contact with the terrain are the secret sauce of successful four-wheeling. The extremely low gear ratios of the two-speed transfer case, in combination with traction control or front and rear differential lockers, ensure the Jeep is nigh unstoppable in an off-road environment, with the venerable 3.6-liter V6 engine also playing its part.Jeep As good as the Wrangler is on rough trails, it's slightly less accomplished on asphalt roads. Outgunned against the Grenadier and new Defender in the power and refinement game, the Jeep now lags behind its rivals in the dynamic department. So does this mean the Grenadier is actually the next-best 4WD thing? A New Age Beckons Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet In 2025, Ineos sold more than 8,000 Grenadiers in North America, making it the biggest market in the world for the British SUV. And that was achieved with far fewer sales outlets in the USA than bigger players like Jeep and Land Rover.A total of 21,187 new Land Rover Defenders were sold in the USA in 2025, and it has continued to be the brand's top-selling model. But both the Grenadier and Defender were completely outgunned by the Wrangler range, which sold a total of 167,322 vehicles in 2025. So, Jeep still very much rules the four-wheel-drive SUV roost in the USA.However, the Ineos offers a really compelling alternative to the likes of the Jeep and Land Rover. It offers a unique blend of utilitarian off-road ability, refinement, luxury, and performance. In time, as Grenadier establishes a bigger footprint in the USA and the venerable Wrangler increasingly shows its age, the Grenadier looks set to make even bigger inroads in the North American market.
