INEOS Grenadier Review & Prices

The INEOS Grenadier is a chunky off-roader that harks back to old-school 4x4s rather than the new wave of big, posh SUVs such as the Land Rover Defender. Its ethos is to shun modern technology where it can and stick with the analogue and mechanical as much as possible.

It’s an odd approach for 2024, when the car industry is focusing on connected, electric and even autonomous vehicles. It’s a bit like shunning an iPhone in favour of one of those Blackberry phones with a full QWERTY keyboard – but still paying a hefty fee for the privilege.

The INEOS Grenadier looks like the lovechild of an old Land Rover Defender and a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Ruggedly boxy in its design, the Grenadier is solidly aimed at buyers of practical, capable 4x4s, with its old-school ladder-frame chassis that makes it more robust on the rough stuff, and engine air intake above the front wheelarch to enable wading through water up to 800mm deep.

The cabin is also oriented to using the Grenadier in the wilds, with the standard seating upholstery combining hard-wearing cloth and vinyl that are easy to clean. Leather seats are available as an option for those who want a more premium feel.

Despite the analogue focus, there is a 12.3-inch central touchscreen for controlling infotainment functions such as DAB radio, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, as well as displaying off-road relevant information, such as the angle of the car or where the steering wheel is pointed. The graphics are a bit dark and it’s fiddly to use, but most functions have physical buttons and you can navigate its menus using a dial between the passengers, so you don’t need to worry about it too much.

Speaking of which, while most other modern cars seem to be in a battle for the biggest touchscreens and fewest buttons, the Grenadier goes the opposite way. There are chunky buttons and switches on the centre console and above your head, so your inner child will feel like a fighter pilot. It doesn’t feel any less premium for all these buttons, either. Not necessarily posh, but definitely not cheap.

There’s not as much storage inside as you might expect, and the driving position is very upright and cramped around the legs, which takes some getting used to, but it’s more spacious for those in the back seats. The boot is massive and accessed through side-hinged rear doors.

Under the bonnet is a choice of two BMW 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engines – one diesel, one petrol – both of which have seen service in a range of vehicles, so they’re tried and tested. They also meet current emissions standards, so you can go off-roading in the London ULEZ…

In truth, you’ll want to search out dirt tracks wherever you are, because, well, the INEOS Grenadier isn’t particularly good as a road car. It’s set up for off-roading, so the steering is incredibly vague, meaning you’re constantly adjusting to keep in a straight line, and the noise thrown up by the chunky tyres mean it’s much louder than a typical SUV.

But the Grenadier isn’t a typical SUV, and it all makes sense once you head off the beaten track. The numb steering means the wheel doesn’t kick about in your hands over lumps and bumps, the grippy tyres make light work of steep, slippery slopes, and the soft suspension means you can hit deep crevices at speed and it’ll feel like nothing more than a small speed bump.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a quirky family SUV you’d be better off going for just about anything else, and if you just need a hint of off-road ability the Land Rover Defender is a fantastic all-rounder. But if you regularly go off road and want something with old school character that you don’t mind getting filthy, the Grenadier scratches an itch the Defender just can’t.

If that sounds like your kind of car, find out how much you could save with Carwow’s INEOS Grenadier deals, or check out the other best 4x4s. You can also browse used Grenadiers, and when the time comes, you can sell your car through Carwow, too.

Prices for the INEOS Grenadier start at around £65,000 for the commercial versions, but the ‘Station Wagon’ passenger model is a shade under £80,000 before you tick any option boxes.

That’s a lot of money for a car that proudly shuns the latest mod cons, especially when you consider the Land Rover Defender is no less capable off-road but feels posher inside and more refined in daily driving. It’s also considerably more than the similarly rugged Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser, all three of which start in the region of £60,000.

There are two trim levels on the INEOS Grenadier, called Trialmaster and Fieldmaster. They have an identical starting price, with the Trialmaster being more focused on off-roading thanks to chunky tyres, steel wheels and a clever ‘utility belt’ for accessories on the outside. The Fieldmaster has a slightly more luxurious edge, with 18-inch alloy wheels, slightly more road-friendly tyres and leather upholstery inside.

The INEOS Grenadier is noisy and unwieldy on the road, but it’s absolutely imperious on the muddy stuff

In town

Starting with the positives, the Grenadier’s soft, off-road-focused suspension means that speed bumps and potholes pass by barely noticed. The high driving position and slab-sided design means that visibility is really good looking forward, and it’s narrower than it looks, so threading through width restrictors and navigating busy car parks isn’t as intimidating as you’d expect. The off-road cameras and sensors help here, too.

However, while the hydraulic steering is light enough, there’s no self-centring, so when you’re pulling off tight manoeuvres you’re wrestling with the wheel to undo your inputs yourself. As a result, relaxing pootles around town require effort and concentration.

On the motorway

Again, the suspension is the highlight at higher speeds, because it means that the Grenadier is comfortable on long drives. Rough roads can cause a bit of shake in the cabin, but you largely smooth over bumps that might make others wince.

Unfortunately the steering is again a source of frustration. The lack of self-centring means it can feel like you can never relax into a drive, as you’re constantly making minor adjustments to remain centred in the lane. The chunky tyres mean road noise is noticeable, and that slab-sided design results in quite a bit of wind noise, too. Lack of adaptive cruise control, which can maintain your speed and distance to the car in front, is also disappointing at this price.

On a twisty road

Not to sound like a stuck record, but the steering is the main issue on a twisty road. You need to turn a lot to make anything happen, so making swift progress can see you flinging your hands around the wheel to keep the car pointing where you want to go. The suspension deals brilliantly with bumps though, so if you can hold back your speed and enthusiasm it can be pretty good fun to get into a flow with the car.

Off-road

The Grenadier’s on-road driving character isn’t fantastic, then, but when you head off the beaten track everything above makes sense. The old-school steering setup means even the biggest bumps and cracks in the road won’t jolt the steering wheel from your hands, and the suspension’s long travel means even the most rutted greenlanes become almost underwhelmingly easy to navigate. You get the feeling that you could bomb along well-trodden farm tracks at the national speed limit and forget you’re not on tarmac.

There’s more to this ability than grippy tyres and soft suspension, of course. The nerdy off-road need-to-know stats reveal the Grenadier has been designed to tackle tough terrain – you have an approach angle of 35.5 degrees, a ramp breakover angle of 28.2 degrees, and a departure angle of 36.1 degrees, which is a bit better than the Land Rover Defender 110 can manage. The wading depth of 800mm isn’t quite as good as the Defender, though.

The boot is massive and the cabin is spacious enough, but interior storage isn’t brilliant

You really climb aboard the INEOS Grenadier, which is great for giving you a commanding view of the road ahead. However, the driving position is somewhat compromised by the cramped footwell – the pedals are offset slightly so you don’t sit perfectly straight, and taller drivers might find there’s not much room for their left knee because the footrest is quite high. The seat has a lot of adjustment, but the wheel doesn’t, so it’s tricky to work around these quirks to get comfortable.

Storage is okay, but you’ll probably want more if you’re using it as a workhorse. The door bins are quite small, as is the glovebox, though there is at least a decent space beneath the armrest. This is where you’ll also find USB-A, USB-C and 12V sockets.

Space in the back seats

Space in the back is impressive, with good kneeroom and headroom, and the relatively narrow body doesn’t result in tight shoulder room. In fact, the only thing making it uncomfortable for three abreast is that the middle person’s feet have to straddle a large transmission tunnel.

Again, storage isn’t brilliant, with small door bins that are actually quite tricky to access. You do get another USB-A and USB-C slot, though.

It’s child seat-friendly, too. The ISOFIX mounting points don’t have any covers and are easy to get to, the high seats mean there’s no reaching down to get kids in or out, and the door opens wide.

Boot space

The boot is massive, with a capacity of up to 1,255 litres with the seats up. That’s loads more than the 786 litres you get in a Land Rover Defender 110, and not far off the five-seat version of the massive Defender 130, which has 1,329 litres of capacity. It’s also about twice the Mercedes G-Class’s 667 litres.

Accessing the boot requires opening two side-hinged doors at the back of the car, though you can only open the narrower of the two if you want to quickly grab something. Useful if you’re in a tight spot, but can be mildly annoying to have to open both every time you need full access to the boot.

There’s no underfloor storage, though that’s not a huge deal given the big capacity, and there’s no lip to lift heavy items over. You can fold the rear seats by reaching in to pull a lever, but the boot is so deep it’s easier, though a bit more time consuming, to go round to the back doors. Doing so opens up over 2,000 litres of space.

The analogue look and feel has a certain charm, and it doesn’t feel cheap inside, but the infotainment system is clunky 

Jumping aboard the INEOS Grenadier feels like entering a time warp. This car might be inspired by the original Land Rover Defender, but it’s still built in 2024, so you might expect a bit more poshness and modernity for the price.

That’s not what the Grenadier is about, though, so if that rugged, old-school look appeals you’ll love the interior. All of the buttons, dials and switches have a chunky, solid feel and it’s actually refreshing to not have to navigate frustrating touchscreen menus for simple functions. The bank of switches above your head looks particularly cool at night and makes you feel like a fighter pilot preparing for battle.

Our test car was the Trialmaster trim, so it had the easy-wash cloth upholstery and rubber floors. It certainly doesn’t feel posh inside, but it doesn’t feel cheap either – rather functional. You can opt for the Fieldmaster and its more upmarket leather upholstery, but if you want creature comforts, the Defender is the better choice.

You do get an infotainment system, at least. It’s a 12.3-inch display, which is a useful size, and you can control it with a dial on the centre console, which is easier than using the touchscreen on the go. This is also home to loads of useful off-road info, such as the angle of the car. It works well enough, but it’s not the quickest to respond to inputs and feels a bit clunky to navigate through its menus. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included as standard, so you can just use these most of the time.

There’s a choice of two engines – one diesel and one petrol, both of which are BMW-sourced and have a 3.0-litre capacity.

The petrol makes 286hp and 450Nm of torque, and while the diesel is a bit down on power at 249hp, it’s up on torque at 550Nm, which is useful when off roading. It’s also a bit more economical at 28mpg on the combined cycle, compared with 20mpg for the petrol. Both have very high CO2 emissions figures, which means they’re expensive to tax and have as a company car. An electric model called Fusilier is on the way to address that, though.

The INEOS Grenadier has some basic assistance features, such as a system that reads road signs to remind you of the speed limit, lane departure warning, emergency braking to stop or reduce the effect of front end collisions, and an alert if it recognises you’re drowsy behind the wheel.

For off-roading, all models get a centre differential lock and underbody protection. Trialmaster versions have front and rear diff locks and a raised air intake as standard, but these are an optional extra on the Fieldmaster. 

The INEOS Grenadier is a relatively new model, from a new car manufacturer, which is sold in limited numbers, so it’s unclear how reliable they are. However, the engines are tried and tested BMW units so should be a strong point. There are about 30 sales and service centres around the UK and Ireland that do a fairly good job of providing nationwide coverage, but chances are you will have to travel to get the car checked over. All INEOS Grenadiers come with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which is better than the three years Land Rover offers with the Defender.