Remember the Steyr Puch? It was a bird-bath sized utility vehicle from the Austrian engineering firm that once had ties with Daimler before the group was split into smaller entities. Well, it is back in association with British company, INEOS, and the Grenadier.
Built from the ground up on an all-new platform, the INEOS Grenadier has been designed on purpose: namely to meet the demands of its future owners for a rugged, capable and comfortable go-anywhere working vehicle.
“The brief was simple. We set out to design a modern, functional and highly capable 4×4 vehicle with utility at its core,” says Toby Ecuyer, Head of Design. “A design that is ‘easy-to-read’, with no ambiguity about the Grenadier’s role in life. There to do everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Nothing is for show. Modern engineering and production techniques ensure the Grenadier is highly capable, but we have been able to stay true to the essence of creating a utilitarian vehicle that will stand the test of time.
On the engineering front, we are now in the series development phase, supported by our engineering partner Magna Steyr, with prototype testing under way. The INEOS Grenadier will go into production in late 2021.”
Dirk Heilmann, INEOS Automotive’s CEO, adds: “We are delighted to be able to share the design of the Grenadier so early in the process. Most manufacturers would hold back, but we are a new business, building a new brand, and we want to take people with us on this exciting journey.
“Showing the design now allows us to focus on the critical next phase of the vehicle’s development, testing its capability and durability. We have a very challenging programme ahead, as we put prototypes through their paces in all conditions, on the way to accumulating some 1,8-million test kilometres over the coming year. From today the covers are off. Testing ‘in plain sight’ without the need for camouflage wrapping, foam blocks or fake panels is an added benefit.”
In 2017, INEOS Chairman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a car enthusiast and experienced adventurer, identified a gap in the market for a stripped back, utilitarian, hard-working 4×4 engineered for modern day compliance and reliability. INEOS Automotive Limited was formed and a senior team of automotive professionals assembled to bring the vision to reality.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, says: “The Grenadier project started by identifying a gap in the market, abandoned by a number of manufacturers, for a utilitarian off-road vehicle. This gave us our engineering blueprint for a capable, durable and reliable 4×4 built to handle the world’s harshest environments. But it had to look the part as well. As you will see today, Toby and his team have done a great job in delivering a design that is both distinctive and purposeful.
INEOS Automotive is a subsidiary of INEOS Group (www.ineos.com), a manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products. It employs 23 000 people across 34 businesses, with a production network spanning 183 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries and including paints to plastics, textiles to technology and medicines to mobile phones.
