Americas ANY WORD YET? (the NA build date and dealer announcement thread)

[anand]

Farmers don't buy $100K cars do they? They're a frugal lot.

They buy $100k pickup trucks that don't get used to their intended potential

 

[DaveB]

In the US, the mean salary for a pig farmer is reported as either $47,146 (Source), $66,371 (Source), or $77,721 (Source); and those rates, affording a Grenadier is absolutely possible (at $47k it would require some creative financing, but at $65k+ it is definitely feasible). So, in fact, it could still be for pig farmers!

Not sure how farms work in the US but in Australia most commercial farms are registered companies.
The Company would be the vehicle not the farmer.
It would be a tool just like a tractor or a plough.

 

[Inez]

Farmers don't buy $100K cars do they? They're a frugal lot.

Ahem, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIB5XXHNAWWzTOw6guIMYCg

 

[AWo]

Just that a pig farmer can afford an expensive car does't mean it makes sense for him if it is to be used for work. A car used for work must have a high utility value at the lowest cost possible. Especially if it does not take any representative tasks. While the farmer himself might have fun to drive around with a more expensive car and maybe use it for working tasks and just because he wants one, that doesn't mean that he equips his crew with the same car.

In Germany the VW Amarok was introduced as a working horse. However, the boss bought one and the workers still use the cheaper panel vans or pick- ups. That didn't work out...

Mercedes-Benz introduced the X-Class as a life-style car...hasn't worked out neither.

In the community I live, the community-, water companies and street maintenance companies drive Nissan Navara or some kind of smaller trucks like Iveco Dailys, MB Vario, Sprinter etc. Hard to imagine that they will use the Grenadier as they pay with tax money or fees and have to be price sensitive. It becomes more difficult in regards to prices if they have to run a public tender.

A big energy company here in the West of Germany used to run a large Defender fleet for maintaining power lines. They exchange them with Hiluxes slowly.

Our local farmer where we shop vegetables, fire wood etc. used to have a Defender (an exception of course) and now he uses an Amarok for towing and as a familiy car. The rest is done with tractors.

AWo

 

[DaveB]

Just that a pig farmer can afford an expensive car does't mean it makes sense for him if it is to be used for work. A car used for work must have a high utility value at the lowest cost possible. Especially if it does not take any representative tasks. While the farmer himself might have fun to drive around with a more expensive car and maybe use it for working tasks and just because he wants one, that doesn't mean that he equips his crew with the same car.

In Germany the VW Amarok was introduced as a working horse. However, the boss bought one and the workers still use the cheaper panel vans or pick- ups. That didn't work out...

Mercedes-Benz introduced the X-Class as a life-style car...hasn't worked out neither.

In the community I live, the community-, water companies and street maintenance companies drive Nissan Navara or some kind of smaller trucks like Iveco Dailys, MB Vario, Sprinter etc. Hard to imagine that they will use the Grenadier as they pay with tax money or fees and have to be price sensitive. It becomes more difficult in regards to prices if they have to run a public tender.

A big energy company here in the West of Germany used to run a large Defender fleet for maintaining power lines. They exchange them with Hiluxes slowly.

Our local farmer where we shop vegetables, fire wood etc. used to have a Defender (an exception of course) and now he uses an Amarok for towing and as a familiy car. The rest is done with tractors.

AWo

In Australia the 70 series Toyota is most popular on farms and in mines and they are extremely expensive
Sometimes the Hilux.
Mahindra, Great Wall etc have all been tried and failed.
I remember hearing someone at a pub saying you can buy 4 Mahindra's for the price of a Toyota.
Someone else said "yes, you would end up doing that"
When you are 2,000 kms from the dealer cheaper isn't better.

 

[AWo]

A Hilux in Germany starts at 35.000 Euros without discount. Isuzu D-MAX is nearly the same, but no discount. Ford Ranger starts at 40.000 Euros.

Quartermaster starts at 81.000 Euros.

AWo

 

[DaveB]

A Hilux in Germany starts at 35.000 Euros without discount. Isuzu D-MAX is nearly the same, but no discount. Ford Ranger starts at 40.000 Euros.

Quartermaster starts at 81.000 Euros.

AWo

Hilux SR5 would be the realistic starting price in Australia which is about 38,000 Euro
In reality I doubt a Hilux buyer will be cross shopping to a Quartermaster.
I think if the Mercedes dual cab ute was still available that might be some of the market.
Jeep Gladiator might be more of a rival

 

[AWo]

Hilux SR5 would be the realistic starting price in Australia which is about 38,000 Euro
In reality I doubt a Hilux buyer will be cross shopping to a Quartermaster.
I think if the Mercedes dual cab ute was still available that might be some of the market.
Jeep Gladiator might be more of a rival

Yes. I see the Gladiator and the Quartermaster more of a fun and lifestyle car, from the price and utility character. The same as teh X-Class have been. However, that didn't work in Germany and Europe. It may be a different thing in the US or Australia. I do not know if teh X-Class was offered there, but maybe it was too small for the US and AUS buyer.

Hilux & Co. are more of the utility kind. In Germany these "Pritschen" plank beds are very popular in commercial use. They have more space and load that every pick up and they can carry a crew of 7 or more worker:

AWo

 

[Mossy Ineos Grenadier TX]

Is it the old Porsche dealership?

@Norb-TX Are you referring to Porsche West Houston? I believe they expanded/remodeled last year or the year before - looks great now. Wish we owned it, but Sonic does. I plan to build the new IG dealership on our current property which sits on about 12 acres right off I-10, west Houston. Currently, it only has the Nissan dealership, so plenty of room for both. We are flanked by Infiniti and Lexus. There is an old used car building on-site (Oldsmobile showroom back in the day) which will be demolished and replaced by the new IG store.

 

[Norb-TX]

I was referring to the Momentum Porsche site they abandoned when they moved to Shepherd St. That's a good location, not too far from where I live. So it'll be finished by Christmas? That's when Greg Clark said first deliveries were coming. lol, just kidding, we know it not going to be Christmas time.

 

[Mossy Ineos Grenadier TX]

Throughout the PTO2 tour the official verbiage from Ineos was that dealers would be announced in Q3 (depending on what point of the PTO2 tour it was said, it was either towards the end of Q2 or mid Q3), so the timing isn't that far off.

My last direct interaction with IA was ~10ish weeks ago, and at that point many (maybe most?) of the dealers had been more or less selected, but the process of getting them up to speed was being worked on and the dealers were in the process of getting their facilities and staff ready. I don't think it is a secret at all, I think it's more about not inundating a dealer network with contacts/questions when those dealers haven't been trained or staffed to provide the answers. The dealer relations person at IA in the US definitely has his hands full getting all this off the ground, as do the US based IA technical leads that are responsible for training the back of house.

I'll preface my next few sentences with saying that I understand I'm in the absolute minority here. Honestly, I don't care who my dealer is (although, through the "accidental" posting, I can confirm both my closest and my purchasing dealers); my only dealer visits will be for warranty work. I'm not concerned about what their labor rates are, I'm not worried about what building their sales department is in, and I couldn't care less what vehicles their techs worked on previously. Whenever my truck shows up, I just need a place to go, sign paperwork, and leave with some keys and a vehicle. Bonus points if it can be handled the way I bought my Sprinter (vehicle arrived at dealer and was PDI'd, next day my documents were UPS Next Day AM'd to me, I signed them, shipped them back, final docs were next day air'd back to me, grabbed tags locally, and flew up to pick up/drive home). It was literally <5 minutes from getting out of the Uber to leaving the dealership in my new vehicle and honestly it was the best buying experience I've ever had. I've spent enough time around/over/under/inside these vehicles to have a pretty good grasp on them, their quirks, etc, the dealer is just a required start to the ownership process before the fun begins

Cheers to this. If a quick buy is your preference, make it known upfront and you should absolutely have this experience. I imagine you are right though - you're in the minority. Just don't blast the dealer when the manufacturer sends you a post-sales survey asking if the dealer completed all their required steps!

I would add some weight to who your dealer is. Even if it is only warranty work. Warranty visits/repairs can be professional, efficient, even enjoyable....or not. Enjoyable might be a stretch.

Re IA, your assessment it spot on.

 

[2wheelfish]

@RaceTex I know you are probably sworn to secrecy, and maybe I missed something, but what date is “Dealer Day”? Assuming that’s the day when the fog will be lifted and all will become clear?

 

[crashnburn]

Ineos website is undergoing maintenance now...
Hopefully something good

 

[RobS]

Ineos website is undergoing maintenance now...
Hopefully something good

I just noticed the same. Fingers crossed

 

[Norb-TX]

Heck, the site isn't even responding.

 

[RobS]

Site works. No change in my pre-order info.

 

[crashnburn]

Site works. No change in my pre-order info.

Same here.

 

[Krabby]

I could be mistaken, but have they removed the base Grenadier wagon from the UK site and now only off the TM and FM versions?

Edit - Might be the case in all Europe too. I checked Italy, France, Germany, and Belgium and all seem to only offer Belstaff versions. Am I missing something? If not, that’s pretty big news, right?

 

[Tomdoc]

I could be mistaken, but have they removed the base Grenadier wagon from the UK site and now only off the TM and FM versions?

Edit - Might be the case in all Europe too. I checked Italy, France, Germany, and Belgium and all seem to only offer Belstaff versions. Am I missing something? If not, that’s pretty big news, right?

Just logged in - still able to configure a Utility Wagon, Station wagon or Quartermaster. But wow the prices have gone up. Glad I was one of the first to order.

 

[Krabby]

Just logged in - still able to configure a Utility Wagon, Station wagon or Quartermaster. But wow the prices have gone up. Glad I was one of the first to order.

Does the station wagon offer just the Belstaffs?