So where are all the first impressions? (right here)

[James]

What? His leg's off!


.

I think you’ve hit on a key idea here; rock crawling is not really a part of the niche that they identified in designing this car. Not in the sense that it happens in the US. There’s a mid-point where you are still going somewhere, not just out to challenge the car you have built in a park like you guys have.
that market is so specialist, and so well served with Jeep, other mainstreams, and all the aftermarket stuff associated with what breaks off. It would be a difficult market, a nightmare for low volumes, and warranty too perhaps.

They have gone for room to do lots of mods that are more associated with working vehicles (farms, mines, reserves, prospecting, aid, charity, on and on, this is a big category with lots of diversity), overlanding, and general rough country touring. so there is some overlap with some desires that US style offroading might have, but it is not ‘what it’s about’.

that wont necessarily stop people hacking away at them anyway, (have fun, why not?!) but it does mean engineering for 35 or 37 wheels didn’t impose a pile of compromises on everyone that very few will need.

the suspension is SO VERY GOOD I for one am grateful they went i n the direction they did.
if you really want the technical heavy duty stuff, guys the Jeep really is an untouchable platform for that stuff - you already have it. And its cheap as chips. Count your blessings!

 

[FlyingTexan]

My experience of yesterday, going off road in a very wet field was not as expected. Drove onto field in order to check all three difflocks worked. Good news was yes, they all worked. Bad news, sank up to axles in soft mud. Three hours of hard work in extracting myself. One mudguard ripped off but otherwise, all seems OK.

Doesn't look that bad. Have to deflate the tires and keep the hammer down when mudding. You need the tires to throw it from the grooves.

 

[FlyingTexan]

I think you’ve hit on a key idea here; rock crawling is not really a part of the niche that they identified in designing this car. Not in the sense that it happens in the US. There’s a mid-point where you are still going somewhere, not just out to challenge the car you have built in a park like you guys have.
that market is so specialist, and so well served with Jeep, other mainstreams, and all the aftermarket stuff associated with what breaks off. It would be a difficult market, a nightmare for low volumes, and warranty too perhaps.

They have gone for room to do lots of mods that are more associated with working vehicles (farms, mines, reserves, prospecting, aid, charity, on and on, this is a big category with lots of diversity), overlanding, and general rough country touring. so there is some overlap with some desires that US style offroading might have, but it is not ‘what it’s about’.

that wont necessarily stop people hacking away at them anyway, (have fun, why not?!) but it does mean engineering for 35 or 37 wheels didn’t impose a pile of compromises on everyone that very few will need.

the suspension is SO VERY GOOD I for one am grateful they went i n the direction they did.
if you really want the technical heavy duty stuff, guys the Jeep really is an untouchable platform for that stuff - you already have it. And its cheap as chips. Count your blessings!

You can spend as much on jeeps as the Grenadier and the jeep can't tow for anything and has awful powerplants. Well did, I don't know if they're doing the diesel or not, I quit looking when it couldn't tow anything. I just don't think a jeep would really be much fun for overlanding/camping. I only owned a two door though so wasn't much room in it.

 

[James]

You can spend as much on jeeps as the Grenadier and the jeep can't tow for anything and has awful powerplants. Well did, I don't know if they're doing the diesel or not, I quit looking when it couldn't tow anything. I just don't think a jeep would really be much fun for overlanding/camping. I only owned a two door though so wasn't much room in it.

I agree- its good at what its good at.
if youve wanted towing, or load carrying, or comfortable touring its always been a poor choice, BUT for rock crawling and highly technical stuff, say in moab… it’s in its element.
For all the other stuff, grenadier

 

[255/85]

...and warranty too perhaps.

^^^^^^^^^This.
Also handling, entry height, safety concerns such keeping a as low CoG, deflecting attention from a particular segment, C.A.F.E. standards that may be BMW engine/drivetrain based, loading height, OAL height for parking concerns, etc, etc, etc.

 

[stuart1927]

Did you lock the centre diff?...I have found it worthwhile on gravel and rutted roads...plus it takes the ESC out of play...happy motoring

I tried it with and without center diff lock on the route, didn't really feel any difference to be honest! It's not a particularly difficult route, but like you would probably advocate on a more challenging one. I do think the Grenadier is pretty capable without any lockers.

 

[Shopkeep]

Picked up my Gren today, here's the spec:
-RHD Diesel Trialmaster
-Sterling Silver
-Rear steel side panels
-Safari Windows
-Saddle Leather Drivers Pack
-Utility Trim (standard seat fabric)
-Utility Flooring with Carpet Floor Mats
-Cross bars

Drove approx. two hours, all inner city on a cloudless 26 degree (celsius) day. What a monumental vehicle! You need to be present in the moment and actively command this car, but it quickly becomes second nature. Most of this has been said before but here are my first impressions....

The good:
-Steering if fine. Initially it's something different, it feels like the wheel should be bigger but when you get used to actively re-centring after turning the smaller wheel makes perfect sense.
-RHD footrest / hump not that bad and falls where I would rest my left foot anyway. The offset accelerator pedal more of an issue but you quickly adapt.
-Start/stop function works perfectly well (same as any other modern car) and is a non issue for me. By the time you have moved your foot from the brake to the accelerator the engine is up and ready to go.
-Aircon held a comfortable temp on auto and quickly cooled the interior (very sunny day).
-Fit and finish is excellent. The interior plastics work for me, they suit the intended purpose of the vehicle and feel like they will last.
-Everything important feels solid, very quiet on the road with no squeaks or rattles (so far)
-Diesel has plenty of get up and go when required. Throttle response a bit slow but I already have an aftermarket throttle control on order.
-Seats and driving position very good, love the flat door tops where you can rest your arms and centre cubby box lid works perfectly for me as an armrest.
-Sound system is better than I expected.
-Turning circle not that bad, you can't turn on a dime like a Jimny but better than I expected.
-Sterling Silver! Love the contrast with the all the black exterior trim and the slight blue tinge under a bright sky. Will stand out in the sea of Magic Mushroom and Inky Black!
-The Rhino Rack cross bars are beefy and really solid, well finished and grip tenaciously to the gutters. Small amount of noise at 100kph+ through the safari windows but not bad.
-Standard seat fabric is a cracker, really well finished and does not feel "cheap". The fabric weave has a bit of a early 911 pepita vibe.

The bad:
-On my RHD car the right side mirror is a shocker, does not pan wide and low enough to get a clear view of side lane. Designed for a LHD vehicle and not adapted for RHD. Safety issue.
-Rear view camera is a joke, image needs to be enlarged. Not acceptable on a modern vehicle, especially one with poor rear vision from rear view mirror. Safety issue.
-Reflections make it hard to see the central screen in bright daylight, rear left window interior reflection washes out screen.
-Reflection from almost flat front windscreen in bright sunlight can light up the cars in front, could be very annoying for oncoming traffic.
-GPS lags badly when using Apple Car Play, would be tolerable on wide open roads but is almost useless in inner city.

The awesome:
-Safari windows! Easy to open and close with one hand, love the fresh air and the noise is not oppressive at normal speeds. Well tinted, did not seem to heat up interior plus you can leave them ajar to keep it cool while away. A must have. Just don't forget to close them when entering low car parks!
-Saddle leather drivers pack! Quality feel and finish, was worried the colour would be a bit too red but its a really tasteful dark brown that will just get better with age. A must have.
-Rear steel side panels! Makes the car for me, almost the only reason I ordered one. The irregular spot welds look fine and suit the industrial vibe of the car, even the el-cheapo sound deadener on the interior is not as bad as I feared. Interior is still bright for passengers and they don't impede vision out of the car when driving.

A couple of quick pics.

 

[Tazzieman]

Side visibility for me is excellent. I have no driver side blind spots, unlike most other cars I drive - exception being the 60s Benzes which don't even need passenger mirrors.
Glad you like the bulky package!

 

[Cheshire cat]

Picked up my Gren today, here's the spec:
-RHD Diesel Trialmaster
-Sterling Silver
-Rear steel side panels
-Safari Windows
-Saddle Leather Drivers Pack
-Utility Trim (standard seat fabric)
-Utility Flooring with Carpet Floor Mats
-Cross bars

Drove approx. two hours, all inner city on a cloudless 26 degree (celsius) day. What a monumental vehicle! You need to be present in the moment and actively command this car, but it quickly becomes second nature. Most of this has been said before but here are my first impressions....

The good:
-Steering if fine. Initially it's something different, it feels like the wheel should be bigger but when you get used to actively re-centring after turning the smaller wheel makes perfect sense.
-RHD footrest / hump not that bad and falls where I would rest my left foot anyway. The offset accelerator pedal more of an issue but you quickly adapt.
-Start/stop function works perfectly well (same as any other modern car) and is a non issue for me. By the time you have moved your foot from the brake to the accelerator the engine is up and ready to go.
-Aircon held a comfortable temp on auto and quickly cooled the interior (very sunny day).
-Fit and finish is excellent. The interior plastics work for me, they suit the intended purpose of the vehicle and feel like they will last.
-Everything important feels solid, very quiet on the road with no squeaks or rattles (so far)
-Diesel has plenty of get up and go when required. Throttle response a bit slow but I already have an aftermarket throttle control on order.
-Seats and driving position very good, love the flat door tops where you can rest your arms and centre cubby box lid works perfectly for me as an armrest.
-Sound system is better than I expected.
-Turning circle not that bad, you can't turn on a dime like a Jimny but better than I expected.
-Sterling Silver! Love the contrast with the all the black exterior trim and the slight blue tinge under a bright sky. Will stand out in the sea of Magic Mushroom and Inky Black!
-The Rhino Rack cross bars are beefy and really solid, well finished and grip tenaciously to the gutters. Small amount of noise at 100kph+ through the safari windows but not bad.
-Standard seat fabric is a cracker, really well finished and does not feel "cheap". The fabric weave has a bit of a early 911 pepita vibe.

The bad:
-On my RHD car the right side mirror is a shocker, does not pan wide and low enough to get a clear view of side lane. Designed for a LHD vehicle and not adapted for RHD. Safety issue.
-Rear view camera is a joke, image needs to be enlarged. Not acceptable on a modern vehicle, especially one with poor rear vision from rear view mirror. Safety issue.
-Reflections make it hard to see the central screen in bright daylight, rear left window interior reflection washes out screen.
-Reflection from almost flat front windscreen in bright sunlight can light up the cars in front, could be very annoying for oncoming traffic.
-GPS lags badly when using Apple Car Play, would be tolerable on wide open roads but is almost useless in inner city.

The awesome:
-Safari windows! Easy to open and close with one hand, love the fresh air and the noise is not oppressive at normal speeds. Well tinted, did not seem to heat up interior plus you can leave them ajar to keep it cool while away. A must have. Just don't forget to close them when entering low car parks!
-Saddle leather drivers pack! Quality feel and finish, was worried the colour would be a bit too red but its a really tasteful dark brown that will just get better with age. A must have.
-Rear steel side panels! Makes the car for me, almost the only reason I ordered one. The irregular spot welds look fine and suit the industrial vibe of the car, even the el-cheapo sound deadener on the interior is not as bad as I feared. Interior is still bright for passengers and they don't impede vision out of the car when driving.

A couple of quick pics.
View attachment 7832672View attachment 7832673

Agree with 99% of your observations. For me too, the safari windows and saddle leather were both my very best last minute decisions. Only area where I would take issue. For me, aesthetically speaking, the rear side windows were a must.
Silver is a great colour and I love the way it reflects it’s surroundings giving you several colours and shades for the price of one. Overall, you optioned a great spec vehicle. Wishing you as pleasurable a first 5000 miles as mine has provided me.

 

[DaBull]

Picked up my Gren today, here's the spec:
-RHD Diesel Trialmaster
-Sterling Silver
-Rear steel side panels
-Safari Windows
-Saddle Leather Drivers Pack
-Utility Trim (standard seat fabric)
-Utility Flooring with Carpet Floor Mats
-Cross bars

Drove approx. two hours, all inner city on a cloudless 26 degree (celsius) day. What a monumental vehicle! You need to be present in the moment and actively command this car, but it quickly becomes second nature. Most of this has been said before but here are my first impressions....

The good:
-Steering if fine. Initially it's something different, it feels like the wheel should be bigger but when you get used to actively re-centring after turning the smaller wheel makes perfect sense.
-RHD footrest / hump not that bad and falls where I would rest my left foot anyway. The offset accelerator pedal more of an issue but you quickly adapt.
-Start/stop function works perfectly well (same as any other modern car) and is a non issue for me. By the time you have moved your foot from the brake to the accelerator the engine is up and ready to go.
-Aircon held a comfortable temp on auto and quickly cooled the interior (very sunny day).
-Fit and finish is excellent. The interior plastics work for me, they suit the intended purpose of the vehicle and feel like they will last.
-Everything important feels solid, very quiet on the road with no squeaks or rattles (so far)
-Diesel has plenty of get up and go when required. Throttle response a bit slow but I already have an aftermarket throttle control on order.
-Seats and driving position very good, love the flat door tops where you can rest your arms and centre cubby box lid works perfectly for me as an armrest.
-Sound system is better than I expected.
-Turning circle not that bad, you can't turn on a dime like a Jimny but better than I expected.
-Sterling Silver! Love the contrast with the all the black exterior trim and the slight blue tinge under a bright sky. Will stand out in the sea of Magic Mushroom and Inky Black!
-The Rhino Rack cross bars are beefy and really solid, well finished and grip tenaciously to the gutters. Small amount of noise at 100kph+ through the safari windows but not bad.
-Standard seat fabric is a cracker, really well finished and does not feel "cheap". The fabric weave has a bit of a early 911 pepita vibe.

The bad:
-On my RHD car the right side mirror is a shocker, does not pan wide and low enough to get a clear view of side lane. Designed for a LHD vehicle and not adapted for RHD. Safety issue.
-Rear view camera is a joke, image needs to be enlarged. Not acceptable on a modern vehicle, especially one with poor rear vision from rear view mirror. Safety issue.
-Reflections make it hard to see the central screen in bright daylight, rear left window interior reflection washes out screen.
-Reflection from almost flat front windscreen in bright sunlight can light up the cars in front, could be very annoying for oncoming traffic.
-GPS lags badly when using Apple Car Play, would be tolerable on wide open roads but is almost useless in inner city.

The awesome:
-Safari windows! Easy to open and close with one hand, love the fresh air and the noise is not oppressive at normal speeds. Well tinted, did not seem to heat up interior plus you can leave them ajar to keep it cool while away. A must have. Just don't forget to close them when entering low car parks!
-Saddle leather drivers pack! Quality feel and finish, was worried the colour would be a bit too red but its a really tasteful dark brown that will just get better with age. A must have.
-Rear steel side panels! Makes the car for me, almost the only reason I ordered one. The irregular spot welds look fine and suit the industrial vibe of the car, even the el-cheapo sound deadener on the interior is not as bad as I feared. Interior is still bright for passengers and they don't impede vision out of the car when driving.

A couple of quick pics.
View attachment 7832672View attachment 7832673

Hi Shopkeep, Congratulations! That is one proper Grenadier. Love the side panels. I was able to see the Sterling Silver on my off-road drive and I love the metallic color shifting from light silver in the shade to a blue tint in full sun. I would have choose Sterling Silver, except my 2020 new Defender is Silver and I went for a change on my pre-order to Shale Blue. Enjoy. DaBull

 

[Rubicon Maybe]

My apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere. With the weight of this vehicle being as high as it is, was Aluminum instead of galvanized steel considered? What was the logic for not having an aluminum body? The weight would have been notably lower for the vehicle and the potential issue of rust pushed out even longer.

Thanks
Chuck

 

[Krabby]

The entire vehicle is not steel - it is a combination of some steel parts (ie roof) and some alloy parts (hood/bonnet, and doors).

 

[Mitchell300]

Latest from my Grenadier Agent orange, 3 weeks of ownership

Ineos say talk to Jardine's, Jardine's will talk to Ineos, anyone have any idea how issues like this are resolved.

Currently have a case reference for the missing kit.

Still a good ride and great fun

View attachment 7816314

Did you manage to get a fix for the gap on the headlight wing cowls. I’ve got the same issue. The dealer had a look when the vehicle was in for the software update but came back saying it would need a body shop and to raise a ticket with Ineos. I’m tempted to have a go myself if there’s not a fix.

 

[Wilaspira]

Picked up my Gren today, here's the spec:
-RHD Diesel Trialmaster
-Sterling Silver
-Rear steel side panels
-Safari Windows
-Saddle Leather Drivers Pack
-Utility Trim (standard seat fabric)
-Utility Flooring with Carpet Floor Mats
-Cross bars

Drove approx. two hours, all inner city on a cloudless 26 degree (celsius) day. What a monumental vehicle! You need to be present in the moment and actively command this car, but it quickly becomes second nature. Most of this has been said before but here are my first impressions....

The good:
-Steering if fine. Initially it's something different, it feels like the wheel should be bigger but when you get used to actively re-centring after turning the smaller wheel makes perfect sense.
-RHD footrest / hump not that bad and falls where I would rest my left foot anyway. The offset accelerator pedal more of an issue but you quickly adapt.
-Start/stop function works perfectly well (same as any other modern car) and is a non issue for me. By the time you have moved your foot from the brake to the accelerator the engine is up and ready to go.
-Aircon held a comfortable temp on auto and quickly cooled the interior (very sunny day).
-Fit and finish is excellent. The interior plastics work for me, they suit the intended purpose of the vehicle and feel like they will last.
-Everything important feels solid, very quiet on the road with no squeaks or rattles (so far)
-Diesel has plenty of get up and go when required. Throttle response a bit slow but I already have an aftermarket throttle control on order.
-Seats and driving position very good, love the flat door tops where you can rest your arms and centre cubby box lid works perfectly for me as an armrest.
-Sound system is better than I expected.
-Turning circle not that bad, you can't turn on a dime like a Jimny but better than I expected.
-Sterling Silver! Love the contrast with the all the black exterior trim and the slight blue tinge under a bright sky. Will stand out in the sea of Magic Mushroom and Inky Black!
-The Rhino Rack cross bars are beefy and really solid, well finished and grip tenaciously to the gutters. Small amount of noise at 100kph+ through the safari windows but not bad.
-Standard seat fabric is a cracker, really well finished and does not feel "cheap". The fabric weave has a bit of a early 911 pepita vibe.

The bad:
-On my RHD car the right side mirror is a shocker, does not pan wide and low enough to get a clear view of side lane. Designed for a LHD vehicle and not adapted for RHD. Safety issue.
-Rear view camera is a joke, image needs to be enlarged. Not acceptable on a modern vehicle, especially one with poor rear vision from rear view mirror. Safety issue.
-Reflections make it hard to see the central screen in bright daylight, rear left window interior reflection washes out screen.
-Reflection from almost flat front windscreen in bright sunlight can light up the cars in front, could be very annoying for oncoming traffic.
-GPS lags badly when using Apple Car Play, would be tolerable on wide open roads but is almost useless in inner city.

The awesome:
-Safari windows! Easy to open and close with one hand, love the fresh air and the noise is not oppressive at normal speeds. Well tinted, did not seem to heat up interior plus you can leave them ajar to keep it cool while away. A must have. Just don't forget to close them when entering low car parks!
-Saddle leather drivers pack! Quality feel and finish, was worried the colour would be a bit too red but its a really tasteful dark brown that will just get better with age. A must have.
-Rear steel side panels! Makes the car for me, almost the only reason I ordered one. The irregular spot welds look fine and suit the industrial vibe of the car, even the el-cheapo sound deadener on the interior is not as bad as I feared. Interior is still bright for passengers and they don't impede vision out of the car when driving.

A couple of quick pics.
View attachment 7832672View attachment 7832673

“Diesel has plenty of get up and go when required. Throttle response a bit slow but I already have an aftermarket throttle control on order” - this is an issue for me. Who supplies an aftermarket throttle control, how does it work in theory, does it work to improve getaway from stationery in reality

Cheers

 

[OGrid]

I picked up my Grenadier two days ago and was enjoying the drive back before it threw an engine temperature alert at me and then shut the engine down.

There is the ‘long way home’, and the ‘it didn’t make it home’.

Some initial impressions:
- the foot rest on RHD vehicles does annoy me. Not so much the height, but the depth. No depth to it. I keep trying to stretch my left leg out. Time will tell though how much this really does bug me.
- the radio system audio quality was better than I’d expected, though I will most likely do an upgrade to the speakers.
- steering is going to take some getting used to for me. And that turning circle.
- I’m glad I went with the saddle leather option. Looks great. I’ll engage an after market trim accessory company to do a saddle leather and stitching for the passenger grab handle. The Cabin will look completed to me then.
- happy with the car all round and the finish on the outside is so good.

Vehicle was loaded this morning on a flat bed truck and is now on its way back to the dealer to see what happened. The high temp coolant reservoir had no coolant in it, why is yet to be determined (no leaks identified at this stage).

 

[trobex]

I picked up my Grenadier two days ago and was enjoying the drive back before it threw an engine temperature alert at me and then shut the engine down.

There is the ‘long way home’, and the ‘it didn’t make it home’.

Some initial impressions:
- the foot rest on RHD vehicles does annoy me. Not so much the height, but the depth. No depth to it. I keep trying to stretch my left leg out. Time will tell though how much this really does bug me.
- the radio system audio quality was better than I’d expected, though I will most likely do an upgrade to the speakers.
- steering is going to take some getting used to for me. And that turning circle.
- I’m glad I went with the saddle leather option. Looks great. I’ll engage an after market trim accessory company to do a saddle leather and stitching for the passenger grab handle. The Cabin will look completed to me then.
- happy with the car all round and the finish on the outside is so good.

Vehicle was loaded this morning on a flat bed truck and is now on its way back to the dealer to see what happened. The high temp coolant reservoir had no coolant in it, why is yet to be determined (no leaks identified at this stage).

View attachment 7833182

Finally, someone being 'more honest' about the RHD footrest issue (I think a few others also deep down hate it and are secretly scared by owning LRs where truth telling was frowned upon) - flame suit on! My wife today said, "I always have to move my foot". Other than that, love the truck!

 

[beanohallett]

Did you manage to get a fix for the gap on the headlight wing cowls. I’ve got the same issue. The dealer had a look when the vehicle was in for the software update but came back saying it would need a body shop and to raise a ticket with Ineos. I’m tempted to have a go myself if there’s not a fix.

View attachment 7833174

Hi Mitchell, They did a fix of sorts, not 100% but better than it was and the panel gap is more even, I understand it was just a degree of shoving, the panel is fixed in the middle and the extremities are just "sitting there ".

The new issue is water coming through the roof into the cargo bay where three of the fixing points for the roof grab rails are not waterproof, In on the 5th December to have that looked at

The droopy petrol [Diesel] filler cap cover remains to be sorted as does the off set steering wheel [ it is in the 1 oclock position when the wheels are straight ahead and the rear door which continually say they are open even when tight shut. all down to be fixed on the 5th Dec, mind you that will be the 3rd attempt on the rear doors. watch this space...

 

[beanohallett]

Finally, someone being 'more honest' about the RHD footrest issue (I think a few others also deep down hate it and are secretly scared by owning LRs where truth telling was frowned upon) - flame suit on! My wife today said, "I always have to move my foot". Other than that, love the truck!

to be hones the footrest doesnt bother me , but being a compact model - that may be why

 

[Jeremy996]

Finally, someone being 'more honest' about the RHD footrest issue (I think a few others also deep down hate it and are secretly scared by owning LRs where truth telling was frowned upon) - flame suit on! My wife today said, "I always have to move my foot". Other than that, love the truck!

Consider your flame suit lightly toasted - I have no issues with the footrest, then again I'm only 6' tall and have spent 18 years in old Defenders. I have no problem with being rude about stupidness - not issuing the electronic manual is a major issue for me.

 

[Trialmaster]

Did you manage to get a fix for the gap on the headlight wing cowls. I’ve got the same issue. The dealer had a look when the vehicle was in for the software update but came back saying it would need a body shop and to raise a ticket with Ineos. I’m tempted to have a go myself if there’s not a fix.

View attachment 7833174

I think they are all the same. The cowls clip to the body and I doubt the gap will close much (something I can live with).