When Sir Jim Ratcliffe first discussed his own line of simpler-than-the-Defender 4x4s in earnest, the idea that a company with no experience of building cars from a standing start – and doing it economically – seemed difficult to swallow.
If it looked like that, it doesn’t now. Ineos Automotive has assembled a management team of convincing experts who have plausible answers to all the key questions except one (we’ll come to it). And they’re talking about the kind of vehicle that many people find desirable, in an arena abandoned by Land Rover in its unquenchable zeal to build premium vehicles.
Official: Ineos confirms Bridgend factory for Grenadier 4x4
In the words of a friend of mine, a farmer who never drives anything but his Defender: “I need something that will carry a ram, a dog, a chainsaw and several bales of straw, go up steep hills in snow, never ground out, tow 3.5 tonnes, push aside brambles and be power-washable inside. I want a really good tool, the kind you treasure but that won’t break when you drop it. If they do that, and it doesn’t get nice-ified, I want one…”
That lingering question? Ineos has said ominously little about the styling and who’s doing it. It cites the new Jeep Gladiator as a rival, appearing not to notice how carefully and cleverly that pick-up has been styled.
If I were a betting man, I’d say Sir Jim is having a bit of a go himself. And he might be good at it; who knows? Sir William Lyons was, but he wouldn’t have been able to do what Jaguar’s designers do today. Anyhow, it all makes the already-fascinating reveal moment that much more exciting. Roll on 2020!
Ineos considering hydrogen version of Grenadier 4x4
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All very well, but
this is yet another click bait article
Cropley convinced?
And I’m convinced he’s getting senile in his gushing impression of Grenadier.
Totally agree 275 and John.
Totally agree 275 and John. I cannot think of a worse website.
Haymarket gives the impression that it doesn't see a future for Autocar. Or it is so skint it can't afford even a half decent website.
I have taken the only action I can, and won't buy the magazine until they sort this.
The Treasures job...
Maybe nobody within want the job of editing the posts?, bit like my heading, it’s such a thankless job, as posts here have commented, if Autocar haven’t got a Webmaster to troubleshoot this manure then ...?