Wait … isn’t that just a Land Rover? Well, yes and no. The Ineos Grenadier was built for something very different.
Think of it like the Porsche 911 GT3 of the off-road world – a specialised machine designed to excel at one thing above everything else.
In the Grenadier’s case, it’s about having the mechanical guts to point at a mountain and say, ‘Yeah, that’ll do.’
It has been designed to crawl across the most brutal terrain on Earth without stressing its commander.
A car that can go anywhere? That sounds amazing – and it is. We have one billionaire to thank for it.
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Owned by Sir James Ratcliffe, Ineos started as a chemical giant and now employs more than 24,000 people across dozens of businesses.
The company is also heavily involved in sport, where you’ll find its branding in big bold letters on the top of the Mercedes-AMG Formula One car and all over the elite Ineos Grenadiers cycling squad. But the idea for the Grenadier vehicle itself actually came from Ratcliffe’s love for the old Land Rover Defender.
When Land Rover announced in 2016 that it would stop building the original Defender, Ratcliffe – who with a net worth of around $32.5bn is the second richest man in the UK- reportedly tried to buy the production line to keep it alive. Land Rover declined.
So Ratcliffe, who also owns a stake in football giant Manchester United – decided to build his own version of the ultimate off-roader.
The concept was sketched out with engineers at Ineos’ London pub known as The Grenadier.
Ultimately, the team created a tough, no-nonsense 4WD that prioritises durability and off-road capabilities above everything else.
The Grenadier is a refreshingly old-school formula at the core in a world of hi-tech pretenders.
It rides on a ladder-frame chassis with solid beam axles, coil suspension, and a proper low-range transfer case.
Power comes from a BMW-sourced 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
A centre differential is standard, and the buyer can also opt for front and rear locking differentials supplied by Eaton for serious off-road capabilities.
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The 2026 Ineos Grenadier remains fiercely loyal to its rugged brand philosophy; however, it arrives with a suite of surgical updates designed to silence the loudest criticisms from its 2023 debut.
One weakness was its steering.
There were constant complaints around its recirculating ball system, which felt fairly vague on the bitumen, often requiring constant small corrections at highway speeds to keep it centred.
Without much electric assistance, it also felt surprisingly heavy during low-speed manoeuvres, making city driving a workout.
For 2026, Ineos has addressed this issue with a new steering box featuring a variable gear ratio, which slightly improves the driving experience on sealed roads.
While most modern SUVs are just glorified family wagons wearing “rugged” plastic cladding, this thing is the real deal.
With low-range engaged and the diff locks firing, the Grenadier feels borderline unstoppable in steep, technical climbs; yet, it remains remarkably composed when hightailing it over Australia’s notorious corrugated outback roads.
And that’s exactily what it has been designed to do.
It’ll swallow anything you throw at it, no matter how much the bush tries to break it. It’s the perfect rig for negotiating the unforgiving Aussie outback.
Over rocks, mud, and steep inclines, nothing during our testing made me feel it had struggled. It’s hands down one of the toughest rigs currently on sale.
However, one important note is its boxy design. It does make it chug through fuel; we returned 16L/100km over two days of testing.
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It is important to note that a fully optioned Grenadier can become eye-wateringly expensive, but it’s also a car that feels purpose-built and thoughtfully engineered.
The base Grenadier range starts at $105,000 (before on-road costs), but the brand gives customers the freedom to spec a vehicle to their exact liking.
From factory-integrated winches and auxiliary light bars to snorkel intakes and “Safari” roof windows, the options are extensive.
Verdict
4 Stars
The Ineos Grenadier is a masterclass in purpose-built engineering. It goes places most cars wouldn’t dare dream of, and it does so with a level of grit that’s becoming extinct in the tech-heavy car world.
Despite its relatively high price, the Grenadier is surprisingly polished.
It manages to be far more comfortable on the bitumen than the old-school Land Rover Defender that inspired its creation.
For Aussies looking to spice up their next adventure, the Grenadier sure won’t disappoint.
