Took delivery of my station wagon this week. First time driving an Ineos, no test drive. My first thoughts are, it looks huge and it’s a tank. Good road presence on the road. People in the know, middle aged men do a double take, LR defenders drivers all look too. Some young kids think it’s a G class. So very well accepted and people let you out of junctions. Mines Donney grey and doesn’t draw too much attention. I feel like Hobbs in fast and furious driving his truck.
I like the high up seating, like sitting on a bus and the door sill is just right for resting my arm. Excellent visibility all around. Reversing is easy. Easier than my old LR Sport. A rear white light just below the rear reverse camera so super bright for reversing.
The door closes with a thud. I have to actually slam it for the first few day because it wouldn’t shut first time. It getting looser.
The diesel engine is very tight at the moment. When starting off, when you press the accelerator, it’s either very slow or full send. Buts it getting better. I noticed that the engine at idle or slow speed, you can hear it whistling from the engine. Maybe it’s a characteristic but I had a BMW X5 3 litre diesel before and can’t remember this sound.
Negatives, the foot rest is an issue. I can’t rest my foot but because I’m small, I can get used to it. Rear seats are very upright, rear leg room is tight but acceptable because it’s a station wagon not a family wagon. The plastics/buttons on the centre dashboard could have been better, couple of minor squeaks coming from the main screen area.
Noise on the motorway is acceptable not loud at 60 mph. Bit of wind noise at 70 but that’s acceptable because it’s shaped like a brick. High speed driving is good. MPG so far avg 25mpg. High speed is stable.
The return to centre steering, need to get used to but I can feel it improving as it loosens. Cornering for such a large car is surprisingly good, not much roll. The brakes are super, very grabby, I like them.
The seats are very comfy too. The sunroof is amazing, but some rattling when it’s open.
The paintwork is excellent. No orange peel. Wireless car play is excellent, good connection. Music system is decent too. Love the LED headlights and halo accents.
Maybe a grab handle for the drivers side too would be nice. I have to grab the steering wheel to climb up.
I looked under the Grenadier and all looks solid and beefy. Like the way the diff pumpkins are squared off at the bottom.
Overall, it’s an excellent 4x4. Utilitarian designed for purpose. Modern but vintage old school. Good road presence. Very good visibility in front because the front bonnet tapers in. Also there is no speedometer binnacle in front of the driver. Size, I measured it against my old LR sport and it’s actually not as wide but slightly longer.
For the money, it’s good value and it feels like it will last forever. It’s a keeper for me.
