The Ineos Grenadier is an impressively capable adventure vehicle that excels off the beaten track, while its boxy styling and analogue charm are a foil to the aerodynamic, digitised SUVs ipopulating our roads., but the trip to Scotland to drive the new Ineos Grenadier included a photo shoot at one of the James Bond movie’s famous scenes.
On both fronts the Grenadier hits the mark. It is an impressively capable adventure vehicle that excels off the beaten track, while its boxy styling and analogue charm are a foil to the aerodynamic, digitised SUVs increasingly populating the pavements at shopping malls. The ladder-framed vehicle has solid front and rear axles and a five-link suspension set-up. The chassis is steel while the doors and bonnet are corrosion-resistant aluminium.
Vague steering is another issue. It works fine in off-road driving where you don’t necessarily want razor-sharp reactions, but on Scotland’s narrow, twisty tarmac lanes I’d have preferred a more responsive tiller. Despite some dodgy ergonomics there is plenty to like about the British off-roader. A central touchscreen displays information for the driver but the large array of buttons contrast with the heavily digitised cabins found in most modern SUVs. The Grenadier’s chunky buttons are designed to be used with gloves.
Full-time four-wheel drive and a centre diff lock are standard, but the Grenadier Trailmaster I drove off road also had front and rear diff locks that provided extra traction on steep and slippery ascents, allowing us to pick our way slowly up bumpy climbs instead of having to rush up them and risk vehicle damage. The descent control was also very effective, keeping the Grenadier slow and safe down slimy slopes.