It’s hard to avoid a sense of nostalgia when encountering the Grenadier line-up, specifically a yearning for the original Land Rover Defender.
As Ineos tells it, its founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe identified a gap in the market in 2017 for a rugged, hardworking 4×4 engineered for contemporary compliance and reliability. The Defender, with legendary status secured, was withdrawn in 2016.
Ineos describes the Grenadier Quartermaster pick-up as a lifestyle as well as a working vehicle. Specifically, it is targeted at extreme off-road enthusiasts who can afford to indulge their passion for exploring life off the beaten track – coming as it does with an eye-watering starting price of more than £66k. What’s more, with a sub-1.0t payload, customers cannot reclaim VAT on the purchase price.
The Quartermaster comes with a choice of 3.0-litre BMW petrol or diesel engines, the latter of which is driven here. Both are paired with eight-speed auto transmissions that provide high torque at low revs for off-road prowess, which was the main focus for Ineos with the Quartermaster, as it was for the Station Wagon that preceded it to market. To this end both vehicles come with a ladder frame chassis with solid beam axles, to provide toughness and a more forgiving ride over rough terrain, although not on-road in our experience. It is also more durable and easier to repair, says Ineos, which has put its money where its mouth is with a 12-month anti-perforation warranty.
The Quartermaster also comes with a two-speed transfer case built by transmission specialist Tremec for increased control at low speeds, a central differential lock and a full-steel galvanised body. A five-link coil spring suspension is designed to maximise flexibility in unpredictable off-road conditions.
Ineos is offering the Quartermaster in two trim levels: Fieldmaster and the Trailmaster tested here. With even more emphasis on off-road ability the Trailmaster features 17in steel wheels as opposed to the 18in alloys on the Fieldmaster and it gets front and rear diff locks, a raised air intake and BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres too.
Both versions possess a square, purposeful stance enhanced by wheels at the corners of the chassis to minimise overhang. Both also boast a 3.5t towing capacity and 5.5t winching power.
The cabin favours analogue over digital controls (although there is a 12.3in touchscreen) with rafts of chunky dials on both the dash and aircraft-inspired overhead control panel. We suspect the layout is likely to appeal to the go-anywhere adventurers the Quartermaster is targeted at. We did not find selecting all the necessary off-road modes the most intuitive process but once set, the Quartermaster Trailmaster is a capable off-road performer, coping with difficult, steep rocky terrain with aplomb and, courtesy of its joint class-leading 800mm wading depth, able to effortlessly skip through pools and streams.
For front-seat occupants the cabin is bright and airy thanks largely to the twin overhead Safari windows, while eight-way adjustable seats boost comfort. Storage provision is not great for an LCV but there is an enormous lidded central compartment. Rear seat passengers draw the short straw: they get very little legroom and once the back doors are closed, the smallish door bins are impossible to access due to the insides of the doors being pressed tight against the edges of the seat.
Like its mentor the Defender, the Grenadier Quartermaster is built for off-roading. Most buyers will probably never test it to its limits but, as Ineos’ global product lead Will Ash says: “People like the fact it can do it.” More contentious is his assertion that “it’s surprisingly good on road”. Those who have driven the Ford Ranger or VW Amarok, for example, may disagree. The Quartermaster accelerates powerfully on the tarmac but holds on to low gears for a long time, particularly downhill, which leads to an intrusive level of in-cab noise. Most challenging, however, is the recirculating ball hydraulic steering system. It has a huge amount of play, does not automatically centre and requires a lot more work for drivers likely to be used to electronically powered steering set-ups. Diehard off-roaders will love it!
| Model | Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster Trailmaster 3.0 diesel |
| Price (ex VAT)(as tested) | £81,266 |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £66,215-£87,080 |
| Insurance group | tbc |
| Warranty | tbc |
| Service intervals | 2yrs/12,500mls |
| Load length | 1,564mm |
| Load width | 1,619mm |
| Load bay height | 485mm |
| Gross payload | 760kg |
| Load volume | n/a |
| Engine size/power | 2,993cc/249hp |
| Combined fuel economy | 25.9mpg |
| CO2 | 325g/km |
| On sale | May 2024 |
| Key rival | Ford Ranger Raptor |
| Verdict | A vehicle for off-road connoisseurs but hard work on the tarmac. |
| Score | 6/10 |
