FRANCOIS LOTTERING BARELY five years ago a bunch of motor enthusiasts met for a pint in a pub in Londen and lamented the departure of the iconic Land Rover Defender.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not want to see the icon fade from the world and jumped to design and build a 4×4 vehicle that would once again be seen as a rugged, brutal and reliable off-roader.
The dream became reality when Ineos Automotive put pen and paper together and the Grenadier, named after Ratcliffe’s favourite pub in London, was born.
It was not an easy road at all, but at the end it was the dream of the Ineos Genadier 4×4 that kept the research and development (R&D) in high range.
Top Revs was part of a handful of specially invited guests to witness what the Grenadier is all about.
Mud, dust and a few light dents eventually told the story of an epic trip from Walvis Bay to the Kunene River and back to Windhoek.
Business development manager Charles van Rensburg says Namibians can see some of the prototypes locally as soon as next month.
Some 30 prototypes are destined for southern Africa, of which Namibia will also get a few for customers to test drive.
Talks are at an advanced stage with a local dealer who will stock, sell and service the vehicles.
Walking around the car, kicking the tyres, opening and closing and tampering with everything that can be opened and closed, we loved what we saw.
Robustness, simplicity and reliability seem to be the main features of this vehicle.
“The Grenadier comes in both diesel and petrol 57 and 58 BMW 3.0L turbo engines. It provides a lot of torque, but not speed, but enough for such a vehicle,” Van Rensburg says.
The eight-speed automatic ZF gearbox needs no effort to take this mid-sized SUV across several obstacles.
Though the two vehicles on display are test vehicles, they have already drawn the attention of hardcore 4×4 fans, and some Namibians have reportedly already placed their orders.
To make sure the vehicle does not fail or disappoint, only the best components were sourced, designed and built, Van Rensburg says.
“So they have taken the very best of each component and put it into the Grenadier. They have not reinvented the wheel, they only took the very best and put it all together. That is what you see here,” he says.
Despite serious off-roading and crossing several rivers, deserts and off-the-grid terrains, all the doors still open and close smoothly without having to wrestle them open or closed.
The configuration of rear doors are designed so that you do not have to open both doors to gain entry, while the spare wheel is mounted on the rear doors for optimum storage space.
Grenadier already has plans to bring out a seven-seater long-wheel base (LWB) that would be ideal for the tourism sector, and personal transport, while the LWB double-cab version will be available soon.
During their short epic trip in Namibia, Van Rensburg says they were pulled over by fellow motorists to enquire about the vehicle.
“The Grenadier isn’t a direct replica of a Land Rover Defender,” Toby Ecuyer, head of design at Inoes Automotive said in an interview with UK-based Autocar magazine.
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