The Grenadier, INEOS’ first 4×4, assembled in Moselle

Why build a 4×4 in 2022?

4×4 enthusiasts all know the Defender, an English 4×4 which the Land Rover group announced the end of production a few years ago. Rather than mourning it like thousands of enthusiasts, the millionaire and Ineos boss Jim Ratcliff then decides to start building a 4×4 similar. We are in 2015, the project is named after an English pub where Jim Ratcliff was at that time, the “Grenadier” was born. 7 years later the first vehicles leave the chain in Hambach in Moselle.

Unlike Tesla and its electric cars, the Grenadier is a rustic all-terrain vehicle, intended for technical trades such as firefighters or farmers. With a 6-cylinder thermal engine, the ecological penalty is estimated at 40,000 euros in the Personal Vehicle version, while this penalty does not apply in the Utility Vehicle version. A strong argument for Frédérick Kientz, director of a Kroely dealership, in charge of sales of the Grenadier in the Grand Est “it’s not the SUV clientele“. Enthusiasts and professionals need this type of vehicle.”

“There’s a hole in the market” also says Dominik Trouvain, INEOS Europe Press Manager. INEOS Automotive and the young start-up backed by the petrochemical juggernaut must rush into it. “you need a real durable 4×4″ he adds that the Grenadier is repairable everywhere. A novelty indeed, the parts can be ordered online and the user manuals available in Open Source. For him, this project was able to take advantage of existing technologies to make a skilful synthesis.

Like 15,000 other enthusiasts, Raymond made a paid reservation of Le Grenadier. What interests him is the possibility of going everywhere. He lives in Greece for part of the year, in a house accessible only to these types of vehicles. Fire alarms are not uncommon there and he prefers to rely on this type of vehicle to escape just in case.

Last element opposed by Ineos in front the ecological reluctance expressed against his 4×4 such as the scheduled end of thermal vehicles for 2035 to deal with climate challenges: Ineos will build other models, a Pick Up, but above all another fully electric 4×4. The first of its kind is in the pipeline, as is the project for a hydrogen 4X4. Designed as a technical, niche vehicle, with low distribution in terms of volume, the Grenadier also finds its raison d’être in the fact of inaugurating a new industrial adventurewith a series of vehicles made in Moselle, whose ecological impact is set to evolve.

A new industrial adventure for the Hambach site

In 2025, the factory will produce some 33,000 Grenadier units. Hambach is the only factory in the world to produce Grenadier. A pride for this site that INEOS bought from Mercedes. In full metamorphosis, this site was used for the production of electric Smart cars. This activity will also settle in China by 2024. Pending a production line from the Hambach site, a time planned by Mercedes to build electric SUVs has made theobject of a massive investment to prepare for the arrival of Grenadier production.

“Without Hambach it would not be possible“says Dominik Trouvain, the motivation and the qualification of the 1300 employees of the site has facilitated the flattening of the production stages. But the ecosystem that INEOS wants is for the whole region. “This is not going in the direction of fewer subcontractors” tells us Sashi Vaïdinathan, France and Benelux manager for Ineos Automotive. The design of a 4×4 is too different from that of SMART. “Not all contractors could provide the same service. If some are no longer in the loop others have been added“.

Finally, the Hambach site offers, according to Sashi Vaïdinathan, the guarantees of ecological production thanks to a systematic recycling system, or even solar panels.

After 130 prototypes and some 2 million kilometers traveled during the tests, something extremely rare, INEOS Automotive installs future customers in prototypes for testing. Like new players in the automotive sector, INEOS wants to shake up habits… in the absence of the market and undoubtedly in the absence of a revolutionary vehicle on the ecological level. Sashi Vaïdinathan persists, “the will of the project is to make efficient and durable machines, the best in their category“. Difficult to say if this 1st vehicle will be the 1st in its category, but it is certain that consideration of ecological issues will accompany Moselle production and the arguments for the sale of the Grenadier throughout the rest of its “career”. It starts next October.