2023 Ineos Grenadier price and specs: Petrol or diesel power, but no advanced safety tech

Pricing and specifications have been announced for the 2023 Ineos Grenadier – the hardcore four-wheel drive from British start-up Ineos Automotive – before order books open later this month.

Inspired by the original Land Rover Defender, the Ineos Grenadier four-wheel-drive will offer the choice of a two-seat commercial 'utility wagon' priced from $84,500 plus on-road costs, or a five-seat passenger 'station wagon' for an extra $1000.

Ineos will offer buyers the choice between 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines sourced from BMW – with eight-speed automatic gearboxes and permanent four-wheel drive – for no extra cost.

In addition to the base models, customers can choose from a more utilitarian Trialmaster variant, or a more luxurious Fieldmaster, both priced from $95,495 plus on-road costs with two seats, or $96,495 with five.

While all models are equipped with LED headlights, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and climate control, advanced safety features such as autonomous emergency braking or lane-keeping assistance will not be available on any variant.

Autonomous emergency braking will be mandatory for all new passenger and light commercial vehicles launched in Australia from March 2023 – but the Grenadier's late 2022 planned launch will see it beat this deadline.

Ineos Asia-Pacific boss Justin Hocevar has previously told Drive the company will fit “as much safety equipment into the vehicle as possible," including "airbags and other contemporary safety systems that you'd find in other vehicles.”

However, a specification sheet published by Ineos Australia only lists safety features such as six airbags, and the government-mandated anti-lock braking and electronic traction/stability control systems – with front parking sensors not standard across the range.

With no autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring or any other advanced safety aids, a five-star ANCAP safety rating for the new off-roader will be unlikely – making it off-limits to many fleet buyers.

As reported previously, Ineos is understood to be hoping its low sales volumes will see it avoid the scrutiny of Australian and European NCAP safety authorities.

Ineos will initially sell its vehicles in Australia through a network of 28 showrooms – made up of traditional car dealers, four-wheel-drive specialist retailers, and agricultural equipment dealers in metro and regional areas (detailed here) – with non-negotiable, fixed prices.

The Grenadier will be offered with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing to be conducted through Ineos retailers, plus a number of Bosch service centres and specific 4WD workshops around Australia.

Service intervals are every 12 months in normal conditions, or six months "for continuous use in tough environments".

Powering the Grenadier is a choice of two BMW engines: a 3.0-litre 'B58' turbo inline six-cylinder petrol with 210kW and 450Nm, or a 3.0-litre 'B57' twin-turbo inline-six diesel quoting 183kW and 550Nm.

Both engines power all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission designed by Germany's ZF – shared with everything from BMWs and Land Rovers to Volkswagens and Ram utes – and permanent four-wheel drive.

Highlights for off-road buyers include a two-speed transfer case, up to three differential locks (centre is standard, front and rear optional), solid beam axles from Italy's Carraro (which supplies tractor companies), Eibach coil-spring suspension and a steel box-section frame.

Other highlights include a choice of Bridgestone or BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tyres, brakes from Italy's Brembo, CV joints and propshaft suspension parts from off-road specialist Dana, and Off-Road and Wading drive modes.

Off-road specifications are as follows: 36.2-degree approach angle, 28.2-degree breakover, 36.1-degree departure, 264mm of ground clearance, 800mm maximum wading depth, more than 600mm of suspension travel, and nine degrees of front and 12 degrees of rear axle articulaton.

All models are capable of towing 3.5 tonnes, with a braked trailer attached.

The two-seat (but still five-door) Utility Wagon can house a standard Euro pallet – with a total of 2088 litres of space – while the five-seat Station Wagon offers 1152 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats up, or 2035 litres with the second row down.

Payload (without driver) ranges from 810kg in the diesel five-seater, to 906kg in the petrol two-seater. 150kg of dynamic and 420kg of static roof load is supported.

Order books for the 2023 Ineos Grenadier are due to open on 18 May on Ineos' website – with a $5000 deposit required, which is refundable until the vehicle contract is signed.

The first cars are expected to reach customers' hands in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2022 (October to December).

The Grenadier will be built in a factory in Hambach, France – formerly owned by Mercedes-Benz, and used for its Smart car range – from July 2022. Over 1.8 million kilometres of testing has occurred globally, Ineos says, in regions from Sweden and Austria to the Middle East and Australia.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs. Petrol and diesel engines available for the same price.

For a full list of every standard feature, optional extra and accessory available with the Ineos Grenadier, see the galleries below.