British billionaire and founder of Ineos Automotive Sir Jim Ratcliffe released an interesting announcement . According to the man which is also the chairman and founder of chemicals giant Ineos, the company will build a worthy rival of the Defender. More precisely, they’ve started working on the body-on-frame vehicle that’s going to be introduced in less than two years as the 2021 Ineos Grenadier.
Essentially, “Grenadier” signifies specialized soldier, but that’s not the main reason why the future off-roader is getting the name. Instead, the SUV will bear the name of a pub in which it has been conceived.
Aside we know it’s going to be the biggest nightmare of the iconic Defender new SUV, there are no other details regarding the Grenadier. According to Ineos, they will invest around 600 million British pounds in the project and plant which will be assembled in Bridgend, Wales. Initially, the facility will employ around 200 workers, but the number should be increased to 500 a bit later. Luckily for the company, they will be able to employ some high-qualified workers from Ford’s engine plant in Bridgend. Blue Oval scheduled to close the factory in 2020, so there should be more than enough available workers.
The 2021 Ineos Grenadier won’t be all British though. No, because the automaker intends produce to body and chassis at a plant in Estarreja, Portugal, while the engine is going to be sourced from BMW. Unofficially, the 4×4 SUV is going to use a 3.0-litre straight six engine and an automatic eight-speed ZF gearbox.
Ineos promises class-leading off-road capability and durability, but bearing in mind how amazing the new Defender is going to be that won’t be an easy task at all. Still, the automaker definitely looks in the right direction since the Ineos Grenadier gets coil-sprung live axles front and rear, a system specially designed by the company on the grounds of extreme durability.
Stay tuned for updates