I saw the Grenadier in Chicago last Tuesday, as part of the 2B Prototype Tour. Our group had about an hour and a half to view the vehicle ask questions. Greg Clark and his team were very open with information, although some details of the Grenadier could not yet be revealed. Here are my initial impressions:
- The Grenadier looks much better in person than it does in pictures. It is not a beautiful vehicle, nor is it meant to be. It has a purposeful look, and the design hangs together well. From a distance, it certainly reminds one of a Defender but up close it has its own unique attributes. I like it very much.
- Size-wise, it is larger than you would expect. Somewhere between a Toyota Forerunner and a Toyota Land Cruiser (100/200). Interior volume is close to the Land Cruiser, but it is narrower and taller.
- The vehicle height may be an issue for some, if you plan to keep it in your garage. It is 80 inches tall. The typical American garage door is nominally 7 feet tall, but usually has an opening, after installation, of around 81 to 83 inches. If you plan to lift the Grenadier, or install larger tires, it may not fit in your garage.
- It appears to be a reassuringly robust design. The body, chassis and interior all seems to be built with durability in mind. I believe that the vehicle will have a long useful life, even under difficult conditions.
- Not everything was perfect, although in fairness, this was a prototype. For instance, I am not a big guy but I found that the door panels severely encroached on the side and shoulder room., particularly in the rear seat. Greg Clark stated that this is under review and production models will most likely have reconfigured panels and increased elbow/shoulder room.
- I also noticed that there is not that much room in the driver and passenger footwells. The combination of a long engine(I-6), long transmission (8-speed) and transmission bell housing encroaches into cabin space. I like the power train combination, so I can live with a slight loss of space.
- The chassis is very beefy. More than I expected, even after reading everything I could find about the Grenadier online. Think of it as a Ram Powerwagon chassis with a small SUV (UV) body. I like it. The Ineos team did not share details of the axles, but, visually, they appear to be more comparable to Dana 60’s rather than Dana 44’s.
- I think the split rear door will function well. I still prefer the split tailgate on a Land Cruiser (now discontinued for the LC300), but if you have to carry a spare tire on the rear, this seems to be a good solution. Vastly superior to the Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco tailgates.
- Speaking of the spare tire, there appears to be enough room to hold a 33 inch tire without interfering with the small door. I don’t know if the mount can be shifted, or not. The mount looks robust and appeared to be cast iron, rather than stamped steel. The Ineos team did not disclose the weight capacity of the rear door hinges.
- I asked the Ineos guys if they have run the Grenadier through an automatic car wash - the kind with the large spinning brushes. They did not know, or didn’t want to say. My concern is that the brushes will hang up on the optional exterior utility rails and either rip the rails off or rip out brush fibers. I have seen these rip door moldings off, but those are typically mounted with plastic clips. It may be ok, but I will not be the first to run a new Grenadier through a car wash. Besides, Grenadiers seem to look better with mud on them.
- Features that I do not like: (1) The rear-view mirror. To me, this is the worst feature on the vehicle. It is too small and positioned too far away to be of any use at all. There is very little visibility out the back anyway, due to the split door and spare tire. The rear view mirror limits that visibility even further. In contrast, the side mirrors are great; (2) The small screen in front of the driver does not display speed, only warning lights. Stupid. Greg Clark said that speed (displayed on the central screen) is still in your field of view when driving. I am skeptical; (3) The steering wheel can be adjusted for tilt as well as fore and aft. However, the steering wheel does not tilt very much. It goes from a very high tilt, to a less-high tilt. This means that the steering wheel has a rather flat ( more horizontal) attitude - like a Mack Truck. Having driven Mack Trucks, that is what came to mind when I sat in the driver’s seat. Maybe that is by design, but it is unusual for an SUV (UV). Overall, my only real complaints about the vehicle (which are in fact minor complaints, rather than major complaints) are related to ergonomics. The Ineos Team indicated that they are reviewing all aspects of the interior prior to full production, so these issues may have already been resolved.
- Favorite features: (1) Visibility. The visibility forward and laterally from the driver’s seat is fantastic. Visibility from the rear seats is also excellent.; (2) The Safari Windows in the front are great. To me, this is a required option. The windshield is rather short and far forward. The Safari Windows open up the space and make it feel much more bright. Without the Safari Windows, I would imagine that the front seats might feel somewhat dark and claustrophobic - Like a Toyota FJ Cruiser.; (3) The overall design. It is a great size, and is built with a robustness that I have not seen in a vehicle of this type for many, many years. In addition, it provides modern levels of occupant safety that the older vehicles never could, and; (4) The overhead switch panel. I don’t know if it would provide any greater level of utility, but it just looks cool. I would enjoy looking at that every time I get into the vehicle.
Overall, even with a few small nits, I was impressed with the Grenadier. I plan to purchase one if a test drive goes well. However, I think I speak for everyone when I say, “We want to hear what the “Toot” button sounds like!”
