INEOS Grenadier 2023 Review

Having worked its way through production and delivery delays, the all-new 2023 INEOS Grenadier launched to Australian media this week – almost two-and-a-half years after it was revealed and six months after the first examples started rolling out to local buyers.

Around 900 deliveries of the 4x4 wagon are expected across Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2023, while the current local order bank stretches out to at least May 2024.

For the full, fascinating story behind the five-year development of the INEOS Grenadier – a ‘passion project’ for a British billionaire who lamented the loss of the original, tough-as-nails Land Rover Defender and so opted to develop from the ground up a 21st century version – check out our international first drive and ‘Everything you need to know’ fact sheet.

Suffice to say, the INEOS Grenadier is a thoroughly modern interpretation of what’s considered by 4x4 traditionalists as a ‘proper’ heavy-duty off-roader, available in two- and five-seat variants of a single five-door dual-range body-on-frame wagon, auto-only with the choice of turbocharged petrol and diesel inline six-cylinder powertrains.

Largely ignoring current automotive trends, the Grenadier boasts a rigid ladder-frame chassis, front and rear live axles and a full-time dual-range four-wheel drive system with a lockable centre differential and optional front and rear locking diffs.

With a payload of up to 900kg or more, a hefty 7000kg gross combined mass (GCM) and a 3500kg braked towing capacity, the French-built off-roader is aimed as much at commercial operators as hardcore 4x4 enthusiasts, overland tourers and owners of large caravans and trailer boats.

Think of truck-like LandCruiser 70 Series capabilities with some creature comforts of the 300 Series, with pricing skewed towards 300 Series buyers, plus some German engineering know-how and bespoke British touches thrown in for good measure, and you get the picture.

Adopting a fixed-price business model and with 32 dealers so far spread across Australia and New Zealand, the Grenadier range kicks off at $109,000 plus on-road costs for the two-seat Utility Wagon, with the basic five-seater Station Wagon priced from $110,000 plus ORCs.

The more off-road-oriented Station Wagon Trialmaster Edition five-seater and more luxury-laden Station Wagon Fieldmaster Edition (also with five seats) top the range at $123,000 plus ORCs. Prices were raised again across the range by between $12,000 and $14,600 in July this year, which INEOS attributes partly to inflationary pressures.

As for the future, Quartermaster dual-cab ute variants are expected to arrive in Australia in the first half of 2024, priced from $111,000 plus ORCs.

INEOS has also built hydrogen-powered and topless Safari versions, and is working on a smaller dual-cab ute and more compact 4x4 EV wagon, which could also be sold in Asia-Pacific markets.

Entry-level versions of the 2023 INEOS Grenadier come reasonably well equipped inside with cloth and vinyl trimmed, manual-adjustable Recaro front seats, single-zone climate-control air-conditioning, full LED lighting, a Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated rear window, cruise control, power windows and central locking.

Externally, centre LED auxiliary pencil spotlights integrated into the front grille, 17-inch steel wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres, and a full-size spare mounted on the rear tailgate are also part of the basic package.

Step up to Trialmaster and Fieldmaster Edition variants and you get the Smooth Pack ($2320), comprising rear camera, front park assist, immobiliser, power heated exterior mirrors, heated windscreen washer jets, lockable central console, puddle lamps, auxiliary charge points and ambient door lighting.

Other additions include a roof-access ladder, compass and altimeter, and a multifunction tow hitch with wiring harness. Low-profile roof rails and ‘shoulder’ tie-down points dispense with the need for roof racks for light loads.

The Fieldmaster also gets ‘Safari’ windows above the driver and front passenger, leather trim, heated front seats and carpet floor mats, along with 17-inch alloy wheels (with lock nuts) with the base grade’s Bridgestone A/T rubber.

The more bush-ready Trialmaster also gets the Rough Pack ($4105), comprising front and rear diff locks and more aggressive BFGoodrich T/A KO2 tyres (on steel wheels).

Other Trialmaster additions include exterior and interior aircraft-style cargo fastening channels, a raised air intake (a snorkel is a further option), an auxiliary battery with integrated CTEK charger, and a high-load auxiliary switch panel with winch and spotlight-ready wiring.

The user-friendly configurator on the INEOS website also allows buyers to tick the boxes for an ever-increasing number of options and accessories, some of which were displayed on vehicles at the local launch including an integrated heavy-duty 5500kg winch ($5990kg), seriously solid roof rack ($2960), rock sliders ($1770), heat reflective privacy glass ($770), spare wheel lockable storage ($490), carpet flooring ($415), white or black contrasting solid roof paint ($1865) and 18-inch alloy wheels ($3130).

The Grenadier range is backed locally by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre mechanical warranty. A 12-month service interval is recommended but this is halved in “continuous tough environments”.

While the 2023 INEOS Grenadier is unlikely to get a Euro NCAP or ANCAP ‘star’ rating due to its commercial vehicle status, Australian INEOS chief Justin Hocevar reassured potential buyers at the local launch that the heavy-duty off-roader had been extensively crash tested as part of its development program and delivers high levels of safety for its intended purpose.

The standard safety suite includes six airbags (including side curtains), anti-lock brakes, electronic traction/stability control, automatic hazard warning, tyre pressure monitoring, lane departure warning, trailer stability assist and front parking sensors.

Five-seat models also get ISOFIX/iSize child seat anchor points for each of the two outboard rear seats, while cruise control and off-road assistance functions including off-road mode, wading mode, hill descent control and uphill assist are also standard across the range.

In order to comply with changing regulations in overseas markets, it’s likely that Aussie-spec variants will also be fitted with now common driver aids like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control down the track, possibly as early as the 2024 model year.

While ‘bush’ vehicles typically try and keep things simple technology-wise to assist with any mobile repairs out on the track, and often prefer analogue over digital, the 2023 INEOS Grenadier gets sufficient modern technology in its standard kit to appease connected modern buyers

Chief among these is the 12.1-inch interface high on the centre dash boasting DAB+ digital radio with four speakers, Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, an Offroad display screen including Altitude and Tyre Monitoring, and a Pathfinder off-road navigation waypoint-based guidance system.

Think of it as an extra-smart trip computer with practical off-road aids such as steering angle and tyre pressures; it also provides some safety parameters as to the limits of the vehicle when it comes to traversing inclines, declines and side slopes.

The small display in front of the driver is limited mostly to warning signs, with the speedo and odometer readout located in the right side of the central screen – just in eyesight of the driver and designed to improve forward visibility through the upright windscreen when off-roading.

While a tad overwhelming at first, the plethora of glove-friendly toggle switches and rotary knobs on the centre dash and console add to the hard-working utilitarian theme, although the fact you can control some of the functions using either the touch-screen, a dash switch, steering wheel button or the BMW rotary controller is verging on overkill.

There’s also a bank of ceiling-mounted switches located in an aircraft-inspired overhead control panel, although these are mainly reserved for off-road functions like the front and rear diff locks and hill descent control switches.

More switches behind are for standard and optional ‘plug and play’ wiring, to run ancillary equipment like light bars and winches or control the second battery outputting to an external 500-amp high-output socket that’s standard on the Trialmaster Edition.

All 2023 INEOS Grenadier models offer the choice of a BMW N58-series 3.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (210kW/450Nm) or the German car-maker’s B57-series 3.0-litre turbo-diesel (183kW/550Nm).

The extensively revised and recalibrated straight sixes are paired to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard, along with a full-time four-wheel drive system and a Tremec low-range transfer case.

Underpinnings include a robust full box-section ladder-frame chassis with five-link front and rear suspension set-up that delivers 585mm of axle articulation with 230/300mm (approx) of wheel travel front and rear respectively. Eibach coil springs front and rear and Brembo disc brakes (vented front/solid rear) complete the name-brand hardware fit-out.

INEOS quotes other impressive off-road geometry figures for the Grenadier including 264mm ground clearance, 800mm wading depth, 35.5-degree approach angle, 28.2-degree ramp breakover angle and a 36.1-degree departure angle.

The live-axle Grenadier wagon uses a light truck-sourced, low-ratio circulating-ball steering system with hydraulic assistance, which delivers a wheel-twirling 3.85 turns lock-to-lock and fairly wide 13.5m turning circle.

Average fuel economy for the boxy 2700kg-plus 2023 INEOS Grenadier wagon is listed from 10.5L/100km for the turbo-diesel version to 14.4L/100km for the thirstier petrol version.

Both engines are Euro 6 compliant, with a 17-litre AdBlue tank (diesel) to go with a standard 90L fuel tank on both variants.

We saw figures of 14.2L/100km (diesel) and 18.5L/100km (petrol) in the vehicles we drove, although this is just a snapshot of real-world economy as it was taken over a varied mix of mostly off-road driving.

While the higher-revving petrol is quoted as being slightly quicker from 0-100km/h on the bitumen (8.8 versus 9.8sec in the diesel), it generally has to work harder than the diesel in hilly off-road conditions, with the petrol’s maximum torque of 450Nm achieved from 1750rpm, compared to 550Nm from 1250rpm with the diesel.

It’s a big step up to get inside the 2023 INEOS Grenadier, but the leather-clad Recaro seats deliver a good mix of comfort and support, and most will be able to get a decent if somewhat upright position and good view out over the bonnet, thanks to the thick-rimmed adjustable steering wheel.

One question mark in regards to driver comfort is the raised panel on the floor that’s designed to cover the exhaust system but cuts into some legroom, but we like the thicker doors with side ledge that are ideal for resting your arm on longer drives, although there’s no equivalent on the other side.

It’s no surprise that both BMW petrol and diesel powerplants are remarkably smooth and refined in tandem with the slick-shifting eight-speed auto, and both deliver decent punch on the highway despite the vehicle’s bulk, albeit at the expense of fuel economy if you’re a lead foot.

There’s a nice subtle engine note at higher revs, which can be appreciated from the quiet of a cabin well insulated from outside noise.

Despite its agricultural underpinnings, the INEOS Grenadier wagon delivers a civilised ride on the bitumen, while the soft pedal feel and top-heavy stance belies its decent stopping performance and measured body control when entering faster corners.

The biggest gripe for around-town driving is the ponderously slow and vague power-assisted steering, which requires regular miniscule adjustments to prevent wandering down the highway, while the large turning circle often makes parking and U-turns a chore.

It’s not a deal breaker but highlights the compromises in building a ‘no fuss’ Outback machine.

The manual park brake and metal ignition key also require a bit more work than modern drivers are used to.

One word: unstoppable. Although the mostly dry, gravelly and sometimes rocky four-wheel drive tracks we encountered through the Wombat State Forest, north of Melbourne, including the challenging Ratcliffe Track, were never going to be problem for the 2023 INEOS Grenadier wagon unless it turned muddy.

What we can report is that despite tackling some decent ruts and moguls, no part of the vehicles we drove made harsh contact with terra firma including the underbody bash plates, or side steps, which can be attributed to the short front and rear overhangs and excellent wheel articulation and suspension and chassis flex allowing the tyres to faithfully hug the ground, despite the conditions.

The five-link coil suspension delivers a forgiving ride over bumpy terrain, with only the occasional thump and scuttle-shake a reminder of the solid underpinnings, although the grippy all-terrain rubber running at unforgiving highway pressures didn’t help with softening the blows.

The torquey diesel six is just as happy left in auto as when the driver shifts gears manually, while low-speed crawling in trickier sections proved to be child’s play, thanks to a 56.37 crawl ratio delivering a 2.08km/h crawling speed.

The Grenadier comes standard with a locking centre diff but lacks some of the electronic off-road smarts of its rivals, so opting for the front and rear diff locks makes sense if you hope to maintain forward momentum on harder tracks with a wheel or two in the air.

The hill descent mode also worked well on some steep gnarly slopes, but selecting the centre diff lock and low range using the ‘cue ball’ shifter requires a firm hand and some patience; another price you pay for old-school durability.

The Grenadier’s excessive turning circle also proved troublesome at times in the bush, with a few three-point turns required in hairpin corners that other 4WD vehicles would breeze through.

Its ‘packhorse’ capabilities are another strongpoint of the 4856mm-long 2023 INEOS Grenadier, with the payload on Australian models ranging from 833kg on a fully optioned diesel Trialmaster Station Wagon to 907kg for a base two-seat petrol Utility Wagon.

Braked towing capacity across the range is pegged at the class-standard 3500kg, and combined with an above-average 7000kg GCM, should provide a payload of up to 600kg when towing with a fully laden 3500kg ATM trailer.

Wide-opening 70/30-split barn doors provide excellent access to more than 2000 litres of cargo space in all Grenadier variants. However, that’s only with the wagon’s 60/40-split folding second row stowed; capacity is 1152L when it’s in place.

The rear seats also don’t fold flat with the floor on the five-seater, so you’ll either need to order the two-seat version or an optional rear cargo storage system to get a fully flat load area.

As well as removeable tie-down points, there’s a rear compartment for the optional heavy-duty hydraulic jack, while the battery and other electricals are located under the second row.

With a 430kg (static) and 150kg (dynamic) load rating, the roof will easily take an optional roof platform, roof tent and awning, and the 150kg-rated aluminium ladder attached to the smaller tailgate door and a load rating of 90kg on the front guards (150kg with optional checkerplate) helps with loading and unloading roof items.

We also got a brief taste of the 2023 INEOS Grenadier’s towing capabilities, behind the wheel of a tow-equipped Trialmaster hitched up to a hybrid caravan weighing around 2200kg.

The Grenadier felt composed and stable at speeds up to 80km/h, with minimal pitching and plenty of pulling power from the turbo-diesel.

This suggests it would be more than up for longer towing stints with a caravan weighing closer to three tonnes, although we’ll have to reserve final judgement until a proper test.

The Grenadier’s small reversing camera display with guidelines was also helpful when it came to hitching up the van.

There’s a distinctly utilitarian feel inside the 2023 INEOS Grenadier, with hard plastics on its upright dash and its standard wash-out flooring with drain holes.

However, there are plenty of ways to add some luxury, like the optional ($1165) brown saddle stitched leather on the steering wheel, grab handle and manual park brake that’s designed to ‘age with the vehicle’.

The contoured gear lever and alloy rotary dial grabbed from the BMW parts bin and the analogue compass with altimeter also lift the ambience.

The high roofline adds to an airy feel inside, but there’s limited incremental storage space, apart from six cup/bottle holders, a small central storage bin and some space under the front seats. There’s also a 12V front socket and some USB-A and USB-C ports for charging devices.

There are no seven-seat Grenadiers, but the raised rear bench seat features a reclinable backrest and offers decent knee-room, shoulder-room and headroom for three average-size adults, although foot-room is limited for the centre-rear passenger.

Neither the driver nor front passenger will be able to check their hair out on the trails, with mirrors deliberately left off the sun visors, but the front passenger has plenty to hang on to across rocky trails with three grab handles within easy reach.

Rock sliders are a good option for hardcore off-roading but they lack a side step which makes it difficult to climb up inside.

Another option that may prove irritating is the twin safari sunroof pop-outs fitted standard to Fieldmaster Edition Grenadiers. We found the cabin heated up considerably with the sun shining overhead, although some INEOS dealers including SLRV in Queensland are offering a removeable shade-like solution.

There are many ways to view the 2023 INEOS Grenadier: an updated old-school Defender, a cheaper Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, or perhaps a comfier alternative to the ageing LandCruiser 70 Series.

While you could manhandle it around the ’burbs, it’s really aimed at adventurous types who want a sturdy platform for off-road touring and camping, capable of carrying a lot of gear and supplies without overloading.

The bonus is it’s quite refined for a rugged off-roader, thanks to the silky-smooth engine choices and well-sorted suspension, although the agricultural steering lets it down at times.

There’s also sufficient technology and creature comforts and a range of fashionable and functional accessories to make the Grenadier a left-field alternative to a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Nissan Patrol Warrior or Land Rover Defender.

Naysayers will dismiss the INEOS Grenadier as lacking heritage, or already out of date as the automotive world turns increasingly towards full electrification.

But if you like your 4x4 SUVs to perform and work as hard as you play, the Grenadier demands serious consideration.

2023 INEOS Grenadier Station Wagon Diesel Trialmaster Edition at a glance:
Price: $123,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 183kW/550Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 276g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested