INEOS Grenadier

ChasingOurTrunks

Well-known member
I'm a little late to this party, but I couldn't agree more ABBB. I no longer have my JKU on 35s, and there are now a bunch of trails that are off-limits given my current rig (a 2017 Tacoma, 1.5 inch lift, 32-inch tires). I made the change for reasons that make sense for me - but I miss the access the JKU & 35s provided.

I also agree with another point you made: the decision by Ineos to sell the Grenadier on 265/70/R17 (31.5 inch tires) will have been influenced by many factors - it would be wrong to assume that the decision was driven by a determination that the 31.5 inch tire is the only tire-size anyone will ever need. Here is a Grenadier on 35s being tested in Iceland:

View attachment 720443

I wouldn't say that 35" tires are exclusively an exercise in vanity. They do improve performance in technical off road sections. But I do note that they certainly are a predominantly North American practice, with an honorary nod to the Australians as 35" are catching on over there. Personally I've never been on a trail in North America that wasn't just a "challenge track" -- i.e. a rock garden that is intended for crawling through, usually in a loop, over a few hours or so, as distinct from a "through route" (which is typically the Overland application) -- where 35's were required. I've certainly been on a few where 35" would make the trip easier, but I don't mind getting out to winch or use the MaxTrax or be a bit more cautious on my lines. The 4wd24/7 folks on Youtube show this reality quite a bit -- some in their convoy will be on 35s, but others are on 32s, and all of them typically end up at the end of the trail one way or another, and that challenge faced by the smaller tired rigs is part of the fun.

My two cents as to why Ineos isn't offering them from factory (pure speculation, as others have said we have no idea what the full paradigms were for Ineos' decisions): For most of the world, the biggest tire you will typically see for a passenger vehicle rim in tire shops is 32". This reality can become a problem in remote parts of the world, where "odd" tire sizes are even more rare. I would wager that Ineos not offering a 35" tire from factory, but obviously testing with a 35" tire, is a recognition that some folks will want 35" tires, but for many folks, selling a 35" from factory would be contrary to the "you can fix it anywhere" ethos of the Grenadier. You can't fix it anywhere in the purest sense if you have to wait 6 weeks for the right sized tire to be shipped in, especially given how often off-road use will take out tires relative to on-road use. And, the overall use case of the vehicle isn't intended for "hard" off-road/rock-crawling. There are way better options already on the market for that that are compact, lightweight, with big wheels; the Gren is really designed more as a utility/touring wagon and has the size and weight to match, and if I need to winch a few times a year to get my touring wagon through highly technical sections, that's probably less of a disadvantage for my experiences off-road than the hit to fuel economy and other "cons" of a bigger tire, or by leaning the design more towards the extreme end of off-road performance.
 

Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
I would, personally, not need 35s.
Where I go, mostly BLM other state / federal lands 32s are plenty enough... and to be honest will e enough for like 65% of the users. Not sure about Australia but I suspect they would need taller ones.

It would be nice to add some sort of a factory gas can or at very least a bracket to attach a gas can... In case they do not want to enlarge the gas tank.
Only annoying thing I find is the BWM shift stick. They should have design something more overlandish... something with a character to it.
 

ChasingOurTrunks

Well-known member
It would be nice to add some sort of a factory gas can or at very least a bracket to attach a gas can... In case they do not want to enlarge the gas tank.
Only annoying thing I find is the BWM shift stick. They should have design something more overlandish... something with a character to it.

I understand that the exterior Utility Belt rails are rated for a few hundred pounds (it was in a video about a month ago) which would be more than strong enough to mount a gas can. Given they use an industry standard track material (L-Track, I think) that are used in ambulances and such, it should be very easy to mount up gas cans/find a bracket that will do the trick.

100% agreed on the shift knob; apparently (again, I think I heard this in a video a while back) there were extreme retooling costs or something with that so they are leaving as -is for the first run.
 

ABBB

Well-known member
I understand that the exterior Utility Belt rails are rated for a few hundred pounds (it was in a video about a month ago) which would be more than strong enough to mount a gas can. Given they use an industry standard track material (L-Track, I think) that are used in ambulances and such, it should be very easy to mount up gas cans/find a bracket that will do the trick.

100% agreed on the shift knob; apparently (again, I think I heard this in a video a while back) there were extreme retooling costs or something with that so they are leaving as -is for the first run.

In light defense of the shifter, I never thought much of them but have recently been driving my wife’s 2016 BMW X3 with the same shifter. Took a little getting used to but it’s actually quite nice. Very clean action, doesn’t take muscle to get it to move, isn’t clunky. It is a design that for sure comes more out of a luxury vehicle but I’ve grown to enjoy the ease with which it operates and its odd little shape and design.
 

Grassland

Well-known member
What's Europe version of EPA fuel economy called?
Is there a rated fuel economy for the gas Ineos yet?
 
In light defense of the shifter, I never thought much of them but have recently been driving my wife’s 2016 BMW X3 with the same shifter. Took a little getting used to but it’s actually quite nice. Very clean action, doesn’t take muscle to get it to move, isn’t clunky. It is a design that for sure comes more out of a luxury vehicle but I’ve grown to enjoy the ease with which it operates and its odd little shape and design.
Good to hear! I haven’t been too keen on the BMW shifter either - so this is welcome news. I had been expecting a manual, given the overall goal and vision - but if it has to be an auto I am really glad it’s a ZF. After test driving a bunch of Jeeps with the ZF i feel like it’s the first auto I’ll be happy with. Shifts are quick and decisive, and the programming seems to keep it in the right gear. This will be my first auto!
 

ChasingOurTrunks

Well-known member
In light defense of the shifter, I never thought much of them but have recently been driving my wife’s 2016 BMW X3 with the same shifter. Took a little getting used to but it’s actually quite nice. Very clean action, doesn’t take muscle to get it to move, isn’t clunky. It is a design that for sure comes more out of a luxury vehicle but I’ve grown to enjoy the ease with which it operates and its odd little shape and design.

Fantastic news indeed -- how it works is what matters most at the end of the day after all!

Etsy will no doubt have a few people making saddle leather covers or something for it if folks are so inclined!
 

SkiWill

Well-known member
What's Europe version of EPA fuel economy called?
Is there a rated fuel economy for the gas Ineos yet?

I recall reading estimated consumption in an Australian review for the petrol/gas engine and it was about as abysmal as you'd expect for such a vehicle. They said it was rated 15-18 mpg in US units. Given the new Defender with a turbo 4 cylinder is only rated 17-20 mpg, I would expect that the 15-18 mpg rating is probably a reasonable guess at this point.
 

Grassland

Well-known member
Yeah the small fuel tank is a bummer for range then, but I guess only so much room to fit a tank.
I've been spoiled with my 136 liter tank I don't know if I can go back to a 90 liter for the road trip vehicle.
Even with the price of fuel now. It's $1.80 a liter for 87 here right now and I put $150 in the Transit this week, and it's a 90ish liter tank.
 

ChasingOurTrunks

Well-known member
Yeah the small fuel tank is a bummer for range then, but I guess only so much room to fit a tank.
I've been spoiled with my 136 liter tank I don't know if I can go back to a 90 liter for the road trip vehicle.
Even with the price of fuel now. It's $1.80 a liter for 87 here right now and I put $150 in the Transit this week, and it's a 90ish liter tank.

I will be interested in what Long Ranger and other aftermarket companies come up with. The petrol option I think has a bigger tank thanks to the lack of DEF, but I don't know if there's even more space in there for an upgrade.

If there isn't, it's not the worlds worst deal breaker in my books -- range is a variable need, not a fixed one. Some trips I need 1,000 kms. Others, my max requirement might only be 200k. For those 1,000km trips, the Grenadier has payload to spare for jerry cans, and that's weight I can shed if I'm just running around on short trips; with a bigger tank, my habits mean that I'm almost always going to be "fill it up to the brim", which means I might be hauling a lot of unnecessary weight day to day.

Ease of use - a big tank wins. But day to day, jerry cans have advantages in terms of versatility that offset the annoyance of how we use them to at least some degree, and the Grenadier can carry a few cans without breaking a sweat.
 

MontanaAggie

New member
Those that have seen the 2B in North America has anyone asked Ineos if there will be any changes in another year? With the America delay curious to see if Ineos will be updating more frequent like Tesla or more typical mid model update in 4 years. I could have missed it but would love to see
1) Front facing camera especially for trails
2) Option to remove rear bench for two captain chairs
3) Ventilated seats. Probably goes against their ethos for reliability/less electronics

Definitely no deal breakers so far and glad I have a deposit in. Hope to see them tour through Dallas this year.
 

Grassland

Well-known member
There you go ... reason #1 to like MB !!;). We're well over$2 for gas on the coast.

I'm with you on the big tank for long road trips. We have dual, and fill on the prairies to save $s and time - I don't want to stop at gas stations on my vacation if I can avoid it, bladder be darned. For tooling around tho, 90L should be okay.

Agree with Chasing, I think I'd opt for jerry cans for my use.

Not loving the 15-18 estimate but I guess it is a retro rig after all :confused:.
My V6 truck gets 17-18 on the highway not towing so it's not a game changer for me fuel economy wise, but that's a lot of range.
I think what it's listed for is fair since it's a brick.
 

Grassland

Well-known member
I should clarify, I get 13-14 l/100 highway unladen.
Towing our Escape 19 it's like 18-22 l/100 so yeah 11-13 mpg.

The Ineos is retro in that it's not a giant touch screen to operate all of the controls. I like the physical dials and switches.
It's modern in that it isn't saddled with a 4 speed auto, and has a/c.
 

Paddler Ed

Adventurer
A bit more commentary from Autocar of Ineos' sales model in the UK:


Stand out quote was from one of the ag dealers: “The Grenadier is the boss’s car, while pick-ups are the working vehicles." ie where the Range Rover Classic started out in many ways.

(May be worth opening in a private browser window - they're pushing business content into a subscription model)
 

Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
I suggested that.

INEOS should team up with John Deere. They have a huge network in the US, trained personal and agricultural profile.
BMW does not ring too much in the heads of farmers / contactors in America or in Australia.
 

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