The Ineos Grenadier 4x4 has been spotted at Ports of Auckland. This is likely a so-called 2B Prototype, a specification Ineos has confirmed it's "testing in plain sight" (therefore undisguised) in various parts of the globe, partly to get response from potential customers in key locations.
New Zealand, Australia and Africa are regarded as important test markets for the company, which aims to recapture the spirit of the previous-generation Land Rover Defender and emulate other tough 4x4s like the Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Grenadier 2Bs have already been used for gold mining in the Australian outback, overlanding in Namibia and supporting BMW GS Trophy motorcyclists in Albania.
Reservations opened on October 14 last year, with Kiwi prices starting at $94,000 for the "utility wagon" (two seats only) and rising to $95,000 for the five-seat "station wagon". Both are based on the same five-door body shape, but there's also a pickup truck/ute on the way, with pricing to be anounced.
A late-2022 launch has been mooted for the Grenadier in NZ. Armstrongs will be the exclusive seller in NZ, with sales and services centres planned for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
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It's certain to become a fashion item, but the company says it's all about function first: "There has been an explosion of SUVs into the market in recent years, of very mixed off-road capabilities - some very good ones, some less good ones and some more crossover-type vehicles - all probably united by ride height and driving position more than anything else,” said Ineos Automotive CEO Dirk Heilmann when the new model was revealed back in 2020.
"But we wanted to go back to something a bit purer, with a focus on the off-road capability first and foremost."
Two BMW-sourced units will be available at launch: six-cylinder 3.0-litre petrol and turbo diesel options.
While the original Ineos Grenadier will not have an EV option, a fully-electric 4x4 is in the future product plans of the brand.
