While on a European river cruise earlier this year, Martin Wilkins was not thinking of buying a new vehicle. But when his cruise ship passed a barge with the name Ineos on the side, he became curious and Googled the name.
Recommended Videos
“I learned Ineos Energy is involved in many industries, and is mainly a global oil and gas company,” the Calgarian says. “But then I saw the sub bar about the Ineos Grenadier, and I went down that rabbit hole.” The Ineos Grenadier, Wilkins learned, is a rough and ready adventure vehicle reminiscent of earlier generations of the Land Rover Defender. Good reason for that, as Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe was a big fan of Land Rover.
Wilkins says, “I’d always wanted an older Land Rover, and the owner of Ineos expressed that same fascination.” In a bold move and hoping to carry on ‘traditional’ Defender production, Ratcliffe suggested to Land Rover he purchase the machinery used to create the Defender. He was turned down, but that only encouraged him to design his own adventure vehicle.
“In February 2017, Sir Jim was sitting in the Grenadier pub (in England) and with some friends, essentially sketched out the design of what became the Grenadier,” explains Shawn Ward of Weissach Ineos Grenadier. Ward is the brand’s Alberta ambassador, but Weissach is based in Vancouver. “Jim participates in overland adventures,” Ward continues. “For that kind of duty, reliability is paramount.”
Working with a clean sheet, Ineos engineers opted to power the machine with an inline 3.0-litre turbocharged BMW 6-cylinder engine. The powerplant is paired with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Centre, front and rear differential locks add to the off-road credibility. Brakes are from Brembo, seats are Recarro. On top of the fully boxed ladder frame is the unique Grenadier body. It’s squared off edges recall the lines of the Defender as well as the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon. While the body is stamped in steel, anything with hinges such as doors and hood, is made of aluminum.
“They did 1.8 million miles of testing on the Grenadier,” Ward says of the prototype vehicles. To build the Grenadier, Ineos bought the former Mercedes-Benz Smart car factory in Hambach, France. Production began, and vehicles were in customer hands by 2023. In Canada, the SUVs arrived in April 2024. To date, Ward says 100 examples have been sold from the Vancouver store, and 25 of them are in Calgary.
“I drove a friend’s Land Rover years ago up in Yellowknife,” Wilkins says. “I never got one, though, and I wouldn’t have the talent to restore an old one. But I always really liked the style. When I saw the Grenadier, it just ticked many boxes for me.”
Wilkins is an avid outdoor enthusiast, often putting a kayak on the roof of his vehicle and heading to Kananaskis Country to either fish, hike or paddle. He had been driving a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, his third Jeep. Returning home to Calgary after the Rhine River cruise, Wilkins contacted Ward at Weissach Ineos Grenadier. Ward answered his many questions regarding performance, and Wilkins test drove the truck.
“I immediately knew this vehicle was for me,” Wilkins says. “The Jeep Wrangler I had owned had been a loyal servant, but the Grenadier sold me on the first test drive.”
Grenadiers are currently available in three models, Station Wagon, Fieldmaster and Trialmaster. There is a Quartermaster pickup truck arriving soon. Wilkins opted for the Fieldmaster equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels and in a colour the company calls Magic Mushroom.
“On November 6, my son Aaron and I flew to Vancouver to pick up the vehicle and drove it back to Calgary through the Rogers Pass,” Wilkins says. “Performance was outstanding, and the features are too numerous to mention. One of its unique features is its overhead control panel which, as a former airline guy, really caught my attention. The large view front windshield affords a huge range of visibility, especially useful in off-roading purposes.” Ward adds, “It’s amazing how well it works right out of the box in off-road conditions, but they have great on-road manners, too.”
So far, Wilkins is impressed with his purchase. One thing he hadn’t bargained for, however, was the constant questioning.
“This vehicle is a head turner and people constantly ask, ‘What is that?’” Wilkins says. “My co-pilot road trip son and I concluded we’d best just print something up and hand it out to onlookers to explain the history of this exceptional vehicle.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or [email protected]
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on Instagram ,Facebook and X to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.