On the Grenadier Fence in Brisbane

[DaveB]

Guess its one of things you either like or dont.

Dave - Did you get the factory window tint? Is it that ceramic / heat reflecting tinting or do you need to do that as well?

I got the factory heat resistant tinted glass for all the rear windows and had the dealer organise the front two windows and safari windows locally.

 

[DenisM]

I borrowed a Grenadier today for a drive (thank you very much) that I am pretty sure was just a pretty standard base wagon.

Completely different vehicle to mine so much quieter inside. I thought it was a petrol/gas version at first.
I can hear the diffs and get more sound through the open or closed safari windows.
I commented at the time that it was like driving an SUV not a 4WD. Not a bad thing but not what I want.

It had carpet, no diff locks, no extra wiring, no privacy/heat resistant glass or window tinting, no bars except aftermarket side steps, cloth seats, K02 tyres (thankfully not the standard road tyres or it would have been a complete failure).
Big one for me was no Safari Windows.

I would not have even thought about purchasing one if this was the first vehicle I drove.

The roof felt low, dark and bland/characterless without the safari windows.
The roof switch panel was bare with no diff lock switches or last row of switches.
As was the lower panel without the seat heater dials. (i don't particularly want the seat heaters)

Clear window glass looked strange.

I hated the cloth seats and they would need seat covers immediately. (as I guess many will do)
No bull bars or side bars just looked bare.
Also the lack of L track along the side and in the boot looked strange.

I guess if someone had full intentions to use it as a base, and planned to do lots of modification, it would be a great place to start. (Except why would you choose carpet???)
So this was pretty much the vehicle I was driving


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The great thing about the Grenadier is that you can choose a lot (Except in US/Canada it seems) so we don't have to squeeze into what a dealer/marketing person chose for us.

Obviously I am biased and absolutely love mine.

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rLlLfAcESmM

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Lucky we all get to pick and choose exactly what we want o suit our tastes, needs and wants.

I had the use of the same vehicle today for a few hrs while mine was in for the s/w upgrade.
I noted the "sela green" vehicle had the upgraded s/w. It drove pleasantly enough and I also commented to the Service Manager on the smoothness of the diesel engine. It had about 37xx km on the odo.and the VIN was 28xx.
I collected my vehicle mid afternoon with the upgraded S/W. On the drive home I immediately noticed the engine appeared to be less 'harsh '.
Does anybody know what all the s/w fixes were/are in ver.xxxxxx1946 esp. in respect of engine tuning?

 

[lightning]

So after 14 pages of discussion it looks like the O/P decided to stick with his old Defender.

To the O/P

l can see why that would be, if you have had the 110 since 2005 it's effectively part of the family.

Think of the adventures you've shared, places you've seen.
You can't get rid of that old 110, it would be a travesty.
Keep taking the vehicle into the bush. But get a spare ECU, as they are beginning to fail now and you won't get that going if it fails in the middle of nowhere.

 

[DesertGecko]

So after 14 pages of discussion it looks like the O/P decided to stick with his old Defender.

To the O/P

l can see why that would be, if you have had the 110 since 2005 it's effectively part of the family.

Think of the adventures you've shared, places you've seen.
You can't get rid of that old 110, it would be a travesty.
Keep taking the vehicle into the bush. But get a spare ECU, as they are beginning to fail now and you won't get that going if it fails in the middle of nowhere.

You are right! I have a spare ECU. We haven't been away this year for various family reasons, so the defender has done about 2000k so far this year.

Anyway, in the 6 months since I posted in here not much has changed. I'm sure I can't justify that amount of money for a car I only really use on holiday in the bush where it would get beaten up.

I have noted that there have been several dealer "incentives" to encourage buyers, and recently a price cut. Apparently there are many Grenadiers in stock now that are proving pretty hard to shift. I've also seen stories about dealers handing back the franchise's. I remain convinced that it's a very competitive market, and they probably went a solid two price rises too far and certainly went too early. I also note that the promised remote service network hasn't happened which also decreases the value proposition. Time will tell .. I'll just keep watching from a distance. Hopefully it works out. The grenadier was a good idea.

In the meantime I'll keep driving the defender and probably put some upgrades in it to improve it and make it a bit more comfortable. If something forced me to get another there are a number of cars I'd look at with established service networks, less bugs and a whole heap cheaper. Maybe ineos will get it together and get back into the competitive list. I'll keep half an eye on things.

 

[Max]

M57 plus ZF six-speed

I'll keep driving the defender and probably put some upgrades in it to improve it and make it a bit more comfortable.

I think you are looking for a like-minded forum...good luck in the future, hope this helps

M57 Land Rover Conversion Group​

Facebook · M57 Land Rover Conversion Group
9.7K+ followers




This group is to discuss all things related to the M57 conversion on Land Rover models. sales posts are allowed if related to Land Rover or the M57 engines ...
https://www.fusionfabindustries.com...hSR6UoX_YTiZmZL43tOfZwOMYMIhvsaJu4X-s4AsuOhbL

 

[lightning]

There's no lneos dealership near to where l live in Stockport, Cheshire.

lf there was one, l would probably have bought a Grenadier. But it would be a long drive to the dealership from here if l ever needed to take it. lt's a three hour round trip.

 

[landmannnn]

There's no lneos dealership near to where l live in Stockport, Cheshire.

lf there was one, l would probably have bought a Grenadier. But it would be a long drive to the dealership from here if l ever needed to take it. lt's a three hour round trip.

There's one in Chester and one in Blackburn.

 

[parb]

There's no lneos dealership near to where l live in Stockport, Cheshire.

lf there was one, l would probably have bought a Grenadier. But it would be a long drive to the dealership from here if l ever needed to take it. lt's a three hour round trip.

1.5 hours to a dealer? 90 miles or so? I will take that any day.
When I bought mine I was 12 hours one way from my dealer. The closest dealer is 6-7 hours south one way in LA. Now a week ago we got a dealer 1 hour away. Clearly the dealer distance did not hold me back...

 

[lightning]

l had a feeling that in Australia or the USA those distances l quoted may be seen as negligible!

I remember touring California and regularly driving 400 miles between destinations.
Not seeing another vehicle for an hour. It was amazing, the sense of space.

 

[DaveB]

There's no lneos dealership near to where l live in Stockport, Cheshire.

lf there was one, l would probably have bought a Grenadier. But it would be a long drive to the dealership from here if l ever needed to take it. lt's a three hour round trip.

Make up your mind.
Is it a long drive or just a three hour round trip?

 

[DaveB]

l had a feeling that in Australia or the USA those distances l quoted may be seen as negligible!

I remember touring California and regularly driving 400 miles between destinations.
Not seeing another vehicle for an hour. It was amazing, the sense of space.

Last Wednesday I drove to see a customer, stopped in at our factory and then drove home.
533 kms (332 miles) round trip

 

[DesertGecko]

I see on the ineos socials that they are now offering GST free on existing stock. 10% off is pretty solid on top of the 5% they did just a few months back. Probably would need to be at least 20% IMHO to be competitive in the market but it's getting there.

MORE ADVENTURE. LESS GST.​

Ultimate 4x4s that are Built For More. For a limited time, enjoy savings equal to GST on a new or demonstrator INEOS Grenadier Station Wagon or Quartermaster (Excluding Cab Chassis).
*Discount equal to the GST payable on the purchase of a vehicle at the manufacturer’s recommended drive away price. Offer ends 31st October 2024 (vehicle ordered, paid & delivered by 31/10/24 whilst stocks last). Offer excludes Cab Chassis models. Available up to MY24 models. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Contact your nearest INEOS Agent.

 

[DaveB]

I see on the ineos socials that they are now offering GST free on existing stock. 10% off is pretty solid on top of the 5% they did just a few months back. Probably would need to be at least 20% IMHO to be competitive in the market but it's getting there.

Just a marketing term as they can't give you GST free.
They can only give you the equivalent of GST as a discount.

 

[DesertGecko]

It would appear I'm not alone in my assessment of the grenadier. Ineos have totally screwed up. I'm still following because I'm angry at them! They've tried the old pay more for less trick.

I just drove through the desert a couple of times in a friends 11 year old hilux. Look the ride isn't the best off road, but it was ok. It probably wasn't quite as good off road as my coil sprung comical articulation defender but it was good enough. And I can buy a new one and have a good go at decking it out with the 70-80k price difference. Plus every mechanic in every little town/locale has worked on a hilux and probably has some parts for it.

What they have made is a utility 4x4 priced like a luxury 4x4. IMHO unless they start moving their prices back towards those of the 76 series they will fail (at least in Australia), and will be remembered as a magical car unicorn!

https://www.drive.com.au/reviews/2025-ineos-grenadier-review/

What we are left, then, is a utility four-wheel-drive with a luxury SUV price: $137,216.50 drive-away. That puts this relatively simple Grenadier within reach of the likes of a highly specced Land Rover Defender 110 P400 HSE X-Dynamic or more than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series VX or Lexus GX 550 Overtrail.
The Grenadier isn't exactly a competitor to these more luxurious, sophisticated and well-equipped vehicles, despite all being four-wheel-drives. But the fact that the pricing is level-pegging leaves the Grenadier looking like poor value.

And looking at it on the other side of the coin, the venerable and flawed Toyota 76 Series LandCruiser persists in 2024 with an asking price of $79,800 plus on-road costs. And considering this is now available with an automatic gearbox matched to a four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, the LandCruiser is more closely matched to the Grenadier than it was before.

 

[Max]

Ineos have totally screwed up.

IHTSU...I just thought I might abbreviate it for more threads to come[and Jean]...so we are all on the same page...good to see your back