New Zealand price and launch date confirmed for hardcore Grenadier 4x4
Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Ineos has confirmed the New Zealand launch date and price of its Grenadier 4x4 SUV.
The Grenadier seeks to bring proper off-roading back to the SUV segment, after Ineos CEO, Jim Ratcliffe, hatched the idea around two years ago.
'There has been an explosion of SUVs into the market in recent years, of very mixed off-road capabilities - some very good ones, some less good ones and some more crossover-type vehicles - all probably united by ride height and driving position more than anything else,” said Ineos Automotive (a new subsidiary of the Ineos Group) CEO Dirk Heilmann last year.
'But we wanted to go back to something a bit purer, with a focus on the off-road capability first and foremost.'
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That focus on form over function has led to the Land Rover Defender-like design, with Heilmann saying this is basically what a properly capable 4x4 SUV will end up looking like if you pursue off-road strength over comfort or luxury.
In fact, new head of sales and marketing for Asia-Pacific region, Justin Hocevar, said much the same. The Grenadier wants to be the best in its class, something helped by no fewer than 1.8 million testing kilometres undertaken.
It will feature two BMW-sourced engines, one a 3.0-litre petrol six and the other a 3.0-litre diesel six, both EU6 compliant. These are the engines Ineos will stick with for the meantime, although Hocevar heavily hinted at a hydrogen version coming, thanks to an existing partnership with Hyundai.
As for battery-electric, Hocevar didn’t explicitly rule it out but implied that hydrogen is the current focus for a zero-emission option.
But enough of that, let’s get to the good stuff.
Hocevar told Stuff in a media roundtable that the first Grenadier models will arrive in Q4 2022, with prices starting at $93,500 for the base two-seater model. Without giving anything else away, he said there would be a “modest uplift” on the five-seater version.
A high-level of specification will be standard, while diesel and petrol powertrains will cost the same.
As for after-sales, Ineos is confident enough in its product to launch it with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with roadside assistance. A five-year service plan will be available as an optional extra.
Armstrongs will be the sole distributor, with sales and service locations planned for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
And if you were still hankering for a BMW ute, Ineos may have just answered your prayers. Hocevar confirmed a dual-cab ute will come to New Zealand, presumably powered by the same BMW engines as the 4x4 SUV. Previously, Ineos indicated the ute will be priced below the SUV, but the final sticker cost is yet to be confirmed.