Markets differ geographically, and there are regional preferences that can have to do with culture, climate, local terrain, and local laws about lift-height, etc. I'm a little concerned that folks in design at Ineos are too influenced by the European market, and don't seem fully aware of market-preferences here in North America. I'm really hoping that the Grenadier finds a market-niche here in North America, but I worry that the tire-size will limit its appeal in its likely market-niche. My take on the North American market:
(1) Sport off-roading / lifestyle vehicles: Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco stand out in this category. Upper trims in these models come standard with 33-inch tires, and both offer a premium off-road trim with 35-inch tires from the factory. If you order the 35-inch tires, you get some important features: (a) appropriate gearing from the factory for the tire size (this is costly in the after-market, time-consuming, and may void your warranty), (b) guaranteed fitment with no-rubbing, (c) a full-size spare. The Grenadier is at a big disadvantage competing in this space - essentially offering only a 31 (almost 32) inch tire (265/70/R17, or 255/70/R18). Serious off-roaders (or people who like the look of big tires) will likely gravitate to Jeep or Ford, unless they are looking to spend a lot of money blazing a new trail with an after-market lift and larger tires on the Grenadier (a brand new vehicle with which the after-market has no experience). The Toyota 4-Runner is also in the sport off-roading / lifestyle niche, but it is much more of a "lifestyle" vehicle, or "all-arounder" than the Wrangler and Bronco, with better on-road comfort (better handling, less road-noise, more comfortable for long road-trip, etc.) but less able to compete in technical off-roading, especially rock crawling. A down-side to vehicles in this niche is their low payload, and low towing capacity - which is where the Grenadier has these vehicles thoroughly trounced.
(2) The Daily Driver / All-Wheel Drive Vehicle: this is a huge category, with a huge range of capability and price: Toyota Rav 4, Subaru Forester, offerings from BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Landrover, Range Rover, etc. Folks who want an affordable all-wheel drive fall into one end of this category, and folks who want performance and/or luxury all-wheel drive fall into the other end. The Grenadier doesn't fit any where in this category, except for those who want its cool appearance, and are willing to give up on-road handling (car-like driving), in exchange for a vehicle that looks different than their neighbor's X5 or LR4. I think the Grenadier will run into the same problem as the Landcruiser 200-series in the U.S. - most people won't understand its advantages (durability, reliability, solid construction, etc.), and will instead see its shortcomings when compared to similarly priced sportier SUVs.
(3) The Work Vehicle: we don't really have mid-size work vehicles in the U.S. - especially not SUVs. Work vehicles in the U.S. tend to be full-size pickups (F150 / 1500), or more likely, heavy-duty pickups (F250 / 2500, F350 / 3500). These are big trucks with little in common with the Grenadier. The Ford Ranger is a mid-size pickup, and has better payload and towing numbers than most other mid-size pickups (sort of a mid-size work vehicle). Some folk will definitely cross-shop the Grenadier with mid-size pickups, but I don't really see the Grenadier in the "work" niche in the U.S.
(4) Overlanding / lifestyle vehicle: this is where the Grenadier best fits. Strong and durable construction, excellent payload and towing for its size (probably class-leading in both categories for a mid-size SUV), and a true four-wheel drive system (two-speed transfer case, locking diffs). Anyone who truly wants a mid-size overland vehicle will recognize the Grenadier as the best option, I'm just not sure how big that market is. We've got the Wrangler and Bronco crossing over into the light-duty end of this market, and big trucks from Ram and Ford on the heavy-duty end of the market.
That was really long-winded, and this is a thread on wheels & tires, so I'll boil it down to this: I'm a little concerned that the limited tire-sizes from the factory will limit the appeal of the Grenadier, and I really want this vehicle to succeed!
![[ Adam ]](https://ineosforum-data.community.forum/avatars/s/9046/9046040.jpg?1705937698){kind=avatar}
