INEOS Grenadier Trialmaster Edition – Brief Road Test

Kim Henson briefly test-drives (on tarmac) the petrol-powered version of the INEOS Grenadier, in Trialmaster Edition form…

(All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson).

Despite the proliferation of modern 4×4 vehicles, there are many potential users who still prefer the traditional’ non-nonsense approach to off-road machines. Enter the INEOS Grenadier, which is aimed at filling the gap…

In describing the Grenadier, INEOS say, it’s “… a serious off-roader that no-one’s building any more. The rugged 4×4 that will get you there. And get the job done”.

In appearance the Grenadier is uncompromisingly ‘traditional’. It is deliberately ‘boxy’ and with a wheel at each corner, to optimise space efficiency and minimise body overhang for improved off-road ability. It’s built on a box section ladder-frame chassis incorporating steel up to 3.5 mm (0.14 in) thick, to provide rigidity and stiffness, and the body shell is made from galvanised steel, for longevity.

As examples from a long list of useful features (there’s too much standard kit to include it all here), front and rear skid plates are fitted, for off-road underbody protection, and (for example) a ‘Wading’ mode is provided, to cope with deep water. The vehicle also comes with front and rear towing eyes. Roof rails and roof protection strips are part of the specification too.

There’s a choice between petrol or diesel straight-six cylinder 3.0 litre BMW engines, and the Grenadiers feature permanent four wheel drive, through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission (recalibrated and fine-tuned by Magna-Steyr, and incorporating a heavy duty torque converter designed specifically for off-road driving). The transmission incorporates a manual override facility.

Power is delivered to the wheels via an INEOS-designed two speed transfer case, built by industry specialists Tremec. The built-in centre differential (within the transfer case) is lockable in both high and low ranges.

The two heavy duty solid beam axles were developed in partnership with Carraro, specialists in heavy duty tractor axles. In addition to the standard-fit central locking differential within the transfer case, electronically-activated front and rear differential locks are optionally available.

Suspension highlights include progressive coil springs, heavy duty anti-roll bars and a five-link arrangement, with a pair of longitudinal links on either side of the axle, plus a Panhard rod. The suspension is said to be set up to provide dynamic handling and a comfortable ride, regardless of the load or type of road.

Braking is by ventilated discs, front and rear, and steering is by a recirculating ball system (intended to cope easily with severe off-road work), featuring hydraulic assistance. The system requires 3.85 turns from lock to lock, and the kerb-to-kerb turning circle is 13.5 metres (44.29 ft).

All Grenadiers provide a braked 3.5 tonne towing capacity, in excess of 2,000 litres (70.63 cu.ft) of load space and 5.5 tonnes of winching power.

A vast array of safety systems comes as standard, as does a full suite of infotainment and navigational features, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems, Bluetooth connectivity and a Pathfinder bespoke waypoint-based off-road navigation system.

In developing the vehicle, INEOS says that the firm packed in 1.8 million kilometres of testing, then placed the prototypes in the hands of those who will be using such vehicles in the real world, pushing the Grenadier to the limit in, for example, challenging areas of Australia and Namibia.

Customers can choose between Station Wagon versions (including Trialmaster and Fieldmaster Editions, plus a limited edition, recently-introduced ‘Centenary of Belstaff’ celebrating ‘Grenadier 1924’ variant), a ‘Quartermaster’ (pick-up) or a two seater Utility Wagon (designed primarily for load-carrying).

The confidence that INEOS has in the Grenadier is underlined by a base warranty of five years, paint warranty of three years and anti-perforation warranty of 12 years.

Six cylinder petrol-powered Grenadier Trialmaster Edition on test

My brief road test was in a six cylinder petrol-powered version of the five seater Station Wagon, in ‘Trialmaster Edition’ guise. This variant takes its name from the ‘Trialmaster’ protective clothing created in 1948 at the request of the famous professional Trials biker Sammy Miller, and this was cut from 6oz British Millerain waxed cotton (and featuring a slanted map pocket plus an ergonomic pivot shoulder, allowing easier movement).

The test car was finished in the wonderfully-named ‘Magic Mushroom’ paint colour, and very smart it looked too, I feel.

The Grenadier Trialmaster Edition has been developed with extreme off-roading in mind, with standard features including 17 inch steel road wheels shod with all-terrain BF Goodrich KO2 tyres, a raised air intake, differential locks at the front and rear, an exterior utility belt, interior utility rails and an access ladder. In addition there’s a high load auxiliary switch panel plus electrical preparation, and an auxiliary battery.

Inside the vehicle there’s ‘Utility’ trim with rubber floor covering, a rear view camera, a ‘Park Assist Front’ system, a compass with altimeter, power-operated and heated exterior mirrors, heads windscreen washer jets, a lockable central stowage box, puddle lamps and ambient door lights, also auxiliary charge points.

Extra cost extras fitted to my test vehicle included ‘rock sliders’, costing £883, rubber floor mats (£181), a fixed tow ball and electrics (£630) and heat-reflective privacy glass (£455).

The starting price of the Trialmaster Edition is £76,000, and the total cost of ‘extras’ on the test car came to £2,704, making £78,704 in total.

At the outset I should say that my test driving was, necessarily, all on tarmac, although I know from reports by other writers that the vehicle is well thought-of as a very capable off-road machine too.

Personally, I find the exterior appearance of this Grenadier to be attractive and reassuringly familiar; to me it looks just as a dedicated off-road 4×4 should appear.

I was also impressed by the interior treatment. There are five comfortable seats (with Recaros in the front), all providing generous head and leg room, and once aboard, there’s a commanding view of the road ahead and of the scenery on either side of the vehicle, from high seating positions. There’s also plenty of space for load-carrying at the rear of the Grenadier.

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The unique design of the control panels is refreshingly different too, reminiscent in style of classic aeroplanes, and I found the controls functional, also easy to assimilate and to use, as well as being attractive in appearance.

The BMW engine pulled very strongly at all speeds, and importantly for a 4×4 for off-road use, there’s a huge amount of low speed torque available. This also helps in on-road driving, and the test car accelerated rapidly and effortlessly from rest and when on the move, accompanied at all times by a pleasant but not intrusive burble from the six cylinder motor. The ZF auto transmission was also impressive, with near-imperceptible ratio changes both upwards and downwards.

The ride quality was far smoother than I had expected, and I found the brakes to be very effective at all speeds.

The steering system is – by deliberate design – a recirculating ball set-up, designed to cope with severe off-road use. It is fine for on-road use too, but requires a fair amount of ‘wheel-twirling’ when, for example, entering a main road from a side road, and in low speed manoeuvres. This is a characteristic of this type of steering, and I mention it not as a criticism, but as a point of fact.

VERDICT

The Grenadier is unashamedly a traditional-looking dedicated off-roader 4×4, and it is built with tough use in mind, especially in Trialmaster Edition form as test-driven. That said, I found that its road manners were impressive too, once one gets used to the recirculating ball steering system (it doesn’t take long and I didn’t find this a problem but it can come as a bit of a surprise to have to turn the wheel so much, for drivers coming straight from vehicles with rack-and-pinion steering).

In summary, an excellent, tough, effective vehicle; it does exactly what it says on the tin.