Europe Ineos Grenadier Test November 26 in Madrid, Spain,

[Oscar01]

They have finally arrived in Spain!!!

Spoiler alert, this is going to be a "brick".

Yesterday I was testing the Grenadier on a small 4x4 circuit unfortunately it was not possible to drive on road, but the experience was good.
There were three vehicles, two test vehicles, a Magic Mushroom petrol, the one I tested, although I have ordered the diesel, and a Shale Blue diesel, from the pictures I have seen in this forum they are the same ones that have given a ride in Europe, at least for the Europe that drives on the right side of the road,....

There was another one on static display in silver color.

They also had the samples with the available colors that Steve (Halliwell Jones Chester) has so kindly shown us, I was looking at the Queen's Red which is the one I chose forced by the unavailability of Shale Blue, and I thought it was a very nice color, very elegant, I think it will look very good.

The test car.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6659/EqzYU1.jpg

The circuit was short, but as it rained a lot the day before it was slippery, it was not very demanding with too long and demanding climbs, but it did have quite technical steps with strong lateral inclination and large axle crossings, I have to tell you that my current recreational car is a Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited Rubicon, V6 Gasoline, with a +3" kit, and Mud Terrain tires of 33".

This Car.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7480/pljG3O.jpg

The Grenadier had the AT tires, and I was surprised at the traction capability the car has, there were several climbs with heavy axle crossings, and we did them all without locking the center differential, and only on one, the left rear wheel momentarily lost traction, I have to say that on at least two of the passes, on my Jeep, I would have disconnected the front stabilizer bar for securing traction before climbing.
One of the climbs we did from a standstill, and considering the weight of the car, I was surprised that it did not skid at any time, inside the car does not seem to weigh what the catalog says, and I guess that in the diesel engine the feeling will be even better.

I was also surprised that it does not turn badly, I got the feeling that it certainly does not turn worse than my Wrangler, which considering the size of the Ineos with respect to the Wrangler I was strange, but of course, to be 100% sure I would have to do the same route with my Jeep.

Unfortunately I have no photos or videos of the circuit, I was driving,....

Finally, I was also surprised, and makes me rethinking a change, that the side runners that had this model touched the ground only twice, and very lightly, on several occasions I was convinced that they would give, when you see the car stopped it seems that they are very low and that you are going to drag them anywhere, but then the reality is not that, and the truth, greatly facilitate access to the car.

 

[Oscar01]

By the way, these two buttons in the photo:

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9765/9d0i6w.jpg

ESC is to deactivate the electronic aids, and DxE contrary to what it may seem is not to expel the passenger through the safari window, it is to "kill" the engine.

I really liked the safari windows, and I am very happy to have ordered them, although here in Spain, and more to the south of Spain, surely we will have to find something to cover them in summer.

Another thing that surprised me was the interior space, the two previous times I have ridden in the car, one as a passenger with a professional driver, and the other in an event that you could get into the static car, I found that there was a very pronounced difference between the exterior size of the car, very large, and the interior space, proportionally smaller, but yesterday, driving on a circuit, with an adult sitting in the passenger seat, I appreciated that it is not small at all, in fact it is much more spacious than my Wrangler, and I also appreciated that the visibility is superb, much better than in my car.

I don't like the idea of not having the instrument panel behind the steering wheel, as has been happening to me for the last 30 years,... if I'm older,... but I think I can get used to seeing the speed of the vehicle, the gear engaged, etc,... on the central display, which by the way, looks very good.

Then I had the good fortune to share almost an hour of talk with a responsible for engineering development of Ineos, which is Spanish, and I have to tell you one thing, I think the greatest success of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not only to have the financial resources necessary to undertake a project of this magnitude, I think the best thing he has done is to find the right people, the engineer with whom I spoke is not only a technically brilliant person, but he is a 4x4 vehicle user, and a passionate of this "little world", and it showed in every sentence, and how he explained the different functions of the vehicle. He made the experience very pleasant.

Curiosities, the upper switch panel, which is optional, has six AUX switches, from 1 to 4 separately activate the four external sockets that are located in what would be the safari windows of a Defender, these have a watertight connector, he could not tell me of which manufacturer, and the other two, activate two sockets inside the car, still without determining where they are, they could not tell me, the other two, one activates at will the relay of the second battery, and the other that puts 500 AMP, activates the current to the winch.

The headlights illuminate very well, or so I have been told, and the auxiliary headlights, as already supposed by legislation, can only be turned on together with the high beam headlights.
Another curiosity,

In the display menu there is a Terratrip function,... with partial and total mileage, and with reset in the display, or in the selector wheel between seats,... it is evident that this person has done many routes with Terratrip,... nobody without experience would think of doing this software development.

The software can record the tracks, you can tell it every how many meters you want to save the WayPoint, and you can download them on a USB that is in the central stowage box compartment.
You can also load Track to follow them, but at the moment it will not show them on the screen as for example in a Garmin, you can follow them with the application that has to follow WP that shows you course and distance, ... to me that I am to make orientation routes I loved it.

The software of the display will be updated over time and in the dealers we will be able to update it, I suppose that under payment, that none are ONG,....

Confirmed that the WADING button, disables the fan, closes the cabin air intakes and stops the regeneration of the PDF filter in the diesel of course, I asked him, stating that he understood that then the vents of the differentials would be at least 81 cm, and his look was, "that is first engineering design", and he told me that yes, indeed,....

The OFF ROAD button, configures the ASC and ABS to allow driving on land, without stopping the vehicle and disables the beeps of the parking sensors.

On the top panel, I did not take a picture,.... behind the hole with the GRENADIER sign, I think there is room to hide a CB Station, I did not measure it, but removed the entire panel and you can see that there is room for a small transmitter, or at least, it seemed to me, the panels can be removed by the four screws that each one carries, or pulling the entire module, this is subject to a metal staples that a more than remarkable quality, and when you put them back, you must tighten enough to fix, but beware, this was a prototype, I do not know if it will be the same the final model.

 

[Oscar01]

The rear door did not have the rubber caught.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/442/FshRJC.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/8541/kKoICu.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6799/PqjFfj.jpg

But he told me that he knew it was subject to redesign, but could not tell me how because it was not his specialty.

What you can do is with the big door open, and the table deployed, close the small one and climb up the ladder, this door has a centering and a top lock, which firmly hold the door, even if the other one is not closed.
Rock Sliders, I have ordered these,

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7648/SnVcpz.jpg

They are suitable to use the HiLift, it is separated enough so that the HiLift arm does not touch the door, but they are not at all suitable to go up to the car, I do not know whether to keep my choice and then do "something" to be able to climb easily, the other model is much more comfortable, but it is not suitable for the HiLift, although it may seem so.

They are very proud to have a factory homologated winch, and the truth, when he details all the things they have to do to homologate it, they must be very proud, crash tests against pedestrian, with and without winch, impact tests with and without winch, since this one, affects the airbag triggering, talking with him you realize that, it is not easy at all.

The front winch, in the European version, which requires plastic bumpers, I think they have made a very good integration, although to operate it you have to remove two screws, which are also under review with respect to the final design, but it is very integrated and discreet.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/3518/wyYlRr.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6241/goHgrY.jpg

And finally, this is not information, it is my intuition, and I will have to confirm it when I get my car, which by the way, I do not know when it will be,... because in the same conversation with the salesman he told me that they made it in December, and in January,... but in the first quarter for sure,... I think they do not even know,....

The case, I have ordered the five-seater Utility Wagon model, which has the rear seat forward, the backrest more vertical and equipped with a grille, but I would like to put it as it is in the Station Wagon model, in customer service after consultation they told me no, but I think there was some kind of misunderstanding due to translation, because the reason they claimed was that under the seat of the Utility Wagon were the batteries,... and the Station Wagon batteries go on the roof?....

 

[Oscar01]

The case, from what can be seen in the photo I took, that black metal piece is the one that fixes the backrest in the vertical position, this is the Station Wagon model, you can clearly see that there is a cover with the same size a little further forward, it is reasonable to think that in that position is where it will be installed in the Utility Wagon version.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9456/mcVvtB.jpg

And the seat has bolts to the floor, on the sides there is coincidentally a bolt in sight, if you remove the rubber floor, where the seat on the Utility Wagon is probably bolted.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/553/lQrYoa.jpg

And in the center of the seat you can clearly see that the seat frame is fixed to the floor by two screws, and "coincidentally" there are two other screws, exactly the same, in the position where the Utility Wagon model will be fixed.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9987/8ENIxt.jpg

I'm not a betting person, but if I bet, I would bet that with the right keys, in less than an hour, you can place the seat from the Utility Wagon position to the Station Wagon position, yes, with two people, because the feeling is that it weighs a lot, at least when you move the backrests to unlock / lock them, you can see that they are heavy.

Finally, apparently there is a manufacturer of heaters that is working so that we can have as retrofitting, a stationary heating Webasto or Eberpacher type, which, for me is a very good option that I will put in the future, apparently there is a place provided in the vehicle for mounting, just need that any of the manufacturer is encouraged to bring it to market.

And yes, they gave me a mug, which I intend to fill with beer on the first route I do with my Grenadier!!!!

Well, if you have come this far I have to congratulate you and if I have half understood something of what I wrote, I also have to congratulate the Translator DeepL...which is the first time I use it.

 

[Zacman110]

Great info, thanks!

 

[Krabby]

Awesome write up and the translation was perfect. I’m quite jealous - it sounds like you had an awesome outting.

Impresionante redacción y la traducción fue perfecta. Estoy bastante celoso, parece que tuviste una salida increíble.

 

[bemax]

The case, from what can be seen in the photo I took, that black metal piece is the one that fixes the backrest in the vertical position, this is the Station Wagon model, you can clearly see that there is a cover with the same size a little further forward, it is reasonable to think that in that position is where it will be installed in the Utility Wagon version.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9456/mcVvtB.jpg

And the seat has bolts to the floor, on the sides there is coincidentally a bolt in sight, if you remove the rubber floor, where the seat on the Utility Wagon is probably bolted.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/553/lQrYoa.jpg

And in the center of the seat you can clearly see that the seat frame is fixed to the floor by two screws, and "coincidentally" there are two other screws, exactly the same, in the position where the Utility Wagon model will be fixed.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9987/8ENIxt.jpg

I'm not a betting person, but if I bet, I would bet that with the right keys, in less than an hour, you can place the seat from the Utility Wagon position to the Station Wagon position, yes, with two people, because the feeling is that it weighs a lot, at least when you move the backrests to unlock / lock them, you can see that they are heavy.

Finally, apparently there is a manufacturer of heaters that is working so that we can have as retrofitting, a stationary heating Webasto or Eberpacher type, which, for me is a very good option that I will put in the future, apparently there is a place provided in the vehicle for mounting, just need that any of the manufacturer is encouraged to bring it to market.

And yes, they gave me a mug, which I intend to fill with beer on the first route I do with my Grenadier!!!!

Well, if you have come this far I have to congratulate you and if I have half understood something of what I wrote, I also have to congratulate the Translator DeepL...which is the first time I use it.

Thank you very much! It has been a pleasure to read your summary! And deepl.com would really be worth paying for the service. For me as a German the translation is perfect

 

[Deepblue]

The rear door did not have the rubber caught.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/442/FshRJC.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/8541/kKoICu.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6799/PqjFfj.jpg

But he told me that he knew it was subject to redesign, but could not tell me how because it was not his specialty.

What you can do is with the big door open, and the table deployed, close the small one and climb up the ladder, this door has a centering and a top lock, which firmly hold the door, even if the other one is not closed.
Rock Sliders, I have ordered these,

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7648/SnVcpz.jpg

They are suitable to use the HiLift, it is separated enough so that the HiLift arm does not touch the door, but they are not at all suitable to go up to the car, I do not know whether to keep my choice and then do "something" to be able to climb easily, the other model is much more comfortable, but it is not suitable for the HiLift, although it may seem so.

They are very proud to have a factory homologated winch, and the truth, when he details all the things they have to do to homologate it, they must be very proud, crash tests against pedestrian, with and without winch, impact tests with and without winch, since this one, affects the airbag triggering, talking with him you realize that, it is not easy at all.

The front winch, in the European version, which requires plastic bumpers, I think they have made a very good integration, although to operate it you have to remove two screws, which are also under review with respect to the final design, but it is very integrated and discreet.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/3518/wyYlRr.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6241/goHgrY.jpg

And finally, this is not information, it is my intuition, and I will have to confirm it when I get my car, which by the way, I do not know when it will be,... because in the same conversation with the salesman he told me that they made it in December, and in January,... but in the first quarter for sure,... I think they do not even know,....

The case, I have ordered the five-seater Utility Wagon model, which has the rear seat forward, the backrest more vertical and equipped with a grille, but I would like to put it as it is in the Station Wagon model, in customer service after consultation they told me no, but I think there was some kind of misunderstanding due to translation, because the reason they claimed was that under the seat of the Utility Wagon were the batteries,... and the Station Wagon batteries go on the roof?....

@Oscar01 Many thanks. Great writeup with very helpful pictures. I‘ve been told by many how difficult it is to get an aftermarket whinch approved by authorities because of pedestrian protection. Fully agree to your assessment here, if Ineos achieves homologation here then the price for factory integrated winch is not so expensive as it seems at fist glance.

And have the same thoughts on side steps vs rock sliders. Have changed my configuration to sliders now and intend to put small pieces of steel between slider and body. Hope to lower slider say 4-5cm and allow to step an them. Maybe paint the slider with some raptor like color as anti-slip. Will find out details when delivered.

 

[emax]

deepl.com would really be worth paying for the service.

You're free to do so.

 

[Cheshire cat]

By the way, these two buttons in the photo:

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9765/9d0i6w.jpg

ESC is to deactivate the electronic aids, and DxE contrary to what it may seem is not to expel the passenger through the safari window, it is to "kill" the engine.

I really liked the safari windows, and I am very happy to have ordered them, although here in Spain, and more to the south of Spain, surely we will have to find something to cover them in summer.

Another thing that surprised me was the interior space, the two previous times I have ridden in the car, one as a passenger with a professional driver, and the other in an event that you could get into the static car, I found that there was a very pronounced difference between the exterior size of the car, very large, and the interior space, proportionally smaller, but yesterday, driving on a circuit, with an adult sitting in the passenger seat, I appreciated that it is not small at all, in fact it is much more spacious than my Wrangler, and I also appreciated that the visibility is superb, much better than in my car.

I don't like the idea of not having the instrument panel behind the steering wheel, as has been happening to me for the last 30 years,... if I'm older,... but I think I can get used to seeing the speed of the vehicle, the gear engaged, etc,... on the central display, which by the way, looks very good.

Then I had the good fortune to share almost an hour of talk with a responsible for engineering development of Ineos, which is Spanish, and I have to tell you one thing, I think the greatest success of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not only to have the financial resources necessary to undertake a project of this magnitude, I think the best thing he has done is to find the right people, the engineer with whom I spoke is not only a technically brilliant person, but he is a 4x4 vehicle user, and a passionate of this "little world", and it showed in every sentence, and how he explained the different functions of the vehicle. He made the experience very pleasant.

Curiosities, the upper switch panel, which is optional, has six AUX switches, from 1 to 4 separately activate the four external sockets that are located in what would be the safari windows of a Defender, these have a watertight connector, he could not tell me of which manufacturer, and the other two, activate two sockets inside the car, still without determining where they are, they could not tell me, the other two, one activates at will the relay of the second battery, and the other that puts 500 AMP, activates the current to the winch.

The headlights illuminate very well, or so I have been told, and the auxiliary headlights, as already supposed by legislation, can only be turned on together with the high beam headlights.
Another curiosity,

In the display menu there is a Terratrip function,... with partial and total mileage, and with reset in the display, or in the selector wheel between seats,... it is evident that this person has done many routes with Terratrip,... nobody without experience would think of doing this software development.

The software can record the tracks, you can tell it every how many meters you want to save the WayPoint, and you can download them on a USB that is in the central stowage box compartment.
You can also load Track to follow them, but at the moment it will not show them on the screen as for example in a Garmin, you can follow them with the application that has to follow WP that shows you course and distance, ... to me that I am to make orientation routes I loved it.

The software of the display will be updated over time and in the dealers we will be able to update it, I suppose that under payment, that none are ONG,....

Confirmed that the WADING button, disables the fan, closes the cabin air intakes and stops the regeneration of the PDF filter in the diesel of course, I asked him, stating that he understood that then the vents of the differentials would be at least 81 cm, and his look was, "that is first engineering design", and he told me that yes, indeed,....

The OFF ROAD button, configures the ASC and ABS to allow driving on land, without stopping the vehicle and disables the beeps of the parking sensors.

On the top panel, I did not take a picture,.... behind the hole with the GRENADIER sign, I think there is room to hide a CB Station, I did not measure it, but removed the entire panel and you can see that there is room for a small transmitter, or at least, it seemed to me, the panels can be removed by the four screws that each one carries, or pulling the entire module, this is subject to a metal staples that a more than remarkable quality, and when you put them back, you must tighten enough to fix, but beware, this was a prototype, I do not know if it will be the same the final model.

Brilliant description Oscar. Very useful. Thank you.

 

[emax]

A real masterpiece of a review, thank you so much!

And even more thanks for the respect you show to the community by taking the effort to translate all this into the lingua franca of this forum, even if deepl.com greatly assists with that!

 

[Jean Mercier]

Well, if you have come this far I have to congratulate you and if I have half understood something of what I wrote, I also have to congratulate the Translator DeepL...which is the first time I use it.

Muchas gracias "hermano", fantástico! Aprendí algunas cosas!