INEOS to develop genuine one-tonne ute rival for Toyota HiLux

INEOS Automotive plans to eventually develop a genuine rival for the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger after admitting it underestimated demand for one-tonne utes in markets like Australia.

Speaking to carsales, INEOS CEO Lynn Calder said Australian INEOS chief Justin Hocevar had already lobbied hard for a full one-tonne pick-up to be part of the 4x4-maker’s future production plans – beyond the newly revealed Grenadier Quartermaster, which offers a payload of just 760kg in Europe, although the Australian version will handle 832kg (diesel) and 907kg (petrol).

“Justin [Hocevar], who runs our business in Australia, talks to us about the one-tonne all the time. He’s a strong believer that we need it to be competitive. And we’re at 760kg [with the Grenadier Quartermaster].”

When asked if INEOS would produce a full one-tonne pick-up to rival Australia’s most popular utes, Calder confirmed such a vehicle was indeed on the menu.

“Yes, it’s on the long list of things for us to do and look at,” she said.

There was less clarity about when we could expect the new INEOS one-tonne, however, with Calder saying she did not want to provide “unrealistic timelines” for what could easily become the best-selling model for the brand Down Under.

“It will be a bit longer because we are focusing on bringing that one [the Quartermaster] to market,” she said.

We asked an INEOS engineer about the possibility of adapting the Grenadier Quartermaster’s ladder chassis to handle a higher payload, but the insider said simple hardware tweaks to achieve that were out of the question as they would make the vehicle far less capable off-road.

INEOS says class-leading off-road capability will remain a key attribute for all models it releases.

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