So the question Andrew is have they reached out to you for an in-depth trial to publish on your channel? They'd be fools not to!

Not gonna lie having the Rangie as the perfectly centered background for the whole video is incredibly aesthetic.. Something I really enjoyed!

I honestly believe that if you made a video series converting the new 2 door Grenadier into a camping overlander, it would be your most popular video series ever! I simply can't wait! What a wonderful time we live in where vehicles like this can be produced and released. Excellent video and breakdown Andrew, I agree in all areas. I'm surprised you didn't didn't mention the aircraft overhead controls! In a totally childish way they make me incredible giddyand excited haha.

I totally love that Rangie in the background must be one of the coolest vehicles ever made!

Andrew, you have always echoed my sentiments in all thing's offroad, overland and Conservation. I have grown up in the South African Bush with a Forester and Natal Parks Board warden as a father. I drove my first 4x4 ( a Wilys CJ2A owned by Geof Gaisford) in St. Lucia at the tender age of 11. We learned to drive at St. Lucia (Landcruiser FJ45) not long after that. Your opinion on this Ineos Grenadier masterpiece is spot on, along with the classic Range Rover and the Landcruiser 78 troopy you currently own. I am the humble owner of aMahindra Pikup Karoo which feels wonderful to drive and at the price is a great value proposition. However, no live beam axle... nearly there. Thank you for your valuable work, I value each and every piece for your vast experience and great production. I also want an Ineos Grenadier with a sore heart... I use fairly hardcore 4x4's every day in my career and my lifestyle. Keep up the great work! Thank you, best regards, Craig

Dick BMW driver here - the B58 engine is actually a fantastic engine, reliable and very easily tune-able ! I think it would do wonders in the Grenadier.

I tend to agree Andrew, a 2 door van variant would be hard to pass up if everything else stacks up. Great video, thanks.

Honest, down to earth and fair appraisal of what we know so far. Thank you

I was out in a 2b grenadier prototype a couple of weeks ago. I was quite impressed. Engine and gearbox were far better than I was expecting. It’ll make an excellent overlander.

Great insightful video as always. When the Grenadier project was launched I was very excited about it. But then when I got used to the new defender and found out it was roughly the same price, my interest dwindled. I'm more interested again now I've heard about the van variant and had a play around on the configurator. You can get BF Goodrich tyres from the factory on 17" wheels too. True what you said about X5's, I saw one get stuck in a car park because an inch of snow fell in Vancouver.

I think Dan Grec disproved ALL of the negatives you mentioned about Jeep Wrangler / Gladiator.

Help me obi wan you're my only hope! Nearly all of us off road enthusiasts want this the be a success and it's ticking a lot of boxes. Thank you Andrew for this video, excellent food for thought and I look forward to seeing more from you on this vehicle. I am seriously interested, my Hilux knows I'm up to something .. can't wait. The real test will be the Australian outback!

This! This is your finest video mate. You have nailed it in every aspect. I could not agree more. Eg 80 series, etc. well said well done. (Im gunna forgive the coffee machine in the troopie build now ;)

2:30 in the us we call those “power sports dealerships” and you can buy anything from boats to atvs and utvs

Absolute truth on the quality of the BMW engine, it has also been used widely as a boat engine. Yanmar is one of the brands that used the BMW engine for this. They ran the stock engine on 300bhp, obviously because a marine engine can run bigger numbers due to less cooling issues. It's a quality engine that can easily provide the required qualities for a proper 4wd.

This was an extremely informative and comprehensive video addressing many important points to the utilitarian/off-road vehicle owner and user, described clearly and really piqued my interest. You have a new subscriber!

Thank you Andrew, looking forward to your unbiased future assessment. Special thanks also to your supporting Off Road History Museum and Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan.

Great video as usual but a few comments on NGO vehicle use. Firstly the 70 series with front and side bars, and a spares pack can be landed in most developing countries (from TGS, depending on status) for around $45,000 AUD, probably half of the price of a similarly equipped Grenadier so on this alone I don’t believe it’s an NGO contender. INEOS has been engaging with the HALO trust but I see it as a symbiotic marketing exercise as there are very few NGO programmes that could reliably operate and justify the cost of Grenadiers in their fleet. Secondly, driver standards aren’t actually as bad as you make out, all NGO’s strive towards lowering fleet costs and one way of doing this is to have professional drivers and very seldom are vehicles actually abused as opposed to used in very challenging circumstances. If a clutch or syncro ring was damaged, it’s a very simple repair with very simple tools and not a drama which leads me to my third point: If you damage a modern automatic gearbox, invariably with the wrong oil or water ingress, it could literally write off the vehicle in a developing country. It’s just not getting repaired locally and with the best will in the world, Grenadier aren’t going to be there to bail you out. In Australia and the rest of the developed world, not an issue and there’s a chance that the repair and parts manual specific to each grenadier might actually be available not just online but actually on the screen of the car itself. Further to that, the gearbox fitted to the Grenadier is a ZF 8HP which is a fantastic and very strong gearbox but unfortunately takes an oil which is not obtainable in any countries where NGO’s work. Using regular Dexron or ATF oil will destroy it. A very typical NGO scenario might be a failed river crossing or flood rescue where the vehicle has sat all night immersed in water. With a 70 series or old defender it would be a case of change the oils and filters, pop the injectors or glow plugs and spin the engine and job’s a goodun, with the Grenadier the reliance of CAN and the specialist oil required (which is also impossible to fully drain) would see the vehicle unrepairable or undiagnosable very quickly. Another issue with automatics and NGO’s is that anybody who can turn a key can steal a vehicle, you may laugh but manual gearboxes are also a form of theft deterrent and ensure a certain minimum standard of driver before any training takes place. Automatics are also unable to be bump started when someone left the lights on or the starter fails due to dust or water ingress. Manual gearboxes and clutches don’t suddenly fail, automatic gearboxes do, the control systems on automatics are easily damaged by voltage spikes say from when jump starting from a truck or from electrical issues or from oil loss from the plastic filter housings or very thin casings or myriad of cooler pipes and radiators. This means that vital missions either don’t get completed or a team is stuck somewhere dangerous and remote in need of recovery. Additionally, driving in certain slippy conditions with wide throttle openings, especially when bogged with an automatic gearbox and untrained drivers can result in massive wheel speeds that can destroy differentials very quickly as the auto changes up the gears and the open centre diff and probably a front wheel is spinning at over 100mph. If an engine’s not running properly, for any reason, the automatic won’t allow as much progress as a manual gearbox. If you have an issue with the brakes because the traction control has been overworked then a manual gearbox is much safer in mountainous country. Gearbox programmers never get it right and the torque converter should have a button on the dash or gearstick to lock it. An admin vehicle in the city is the only role I would consider for an automatic with an NGO where for maximum availability to the beneficiaries and maximum value for the donors simply knowing that the gearbox isn’t going to be the component that stops vital medical or humanitarian assistance from getting through is reason enough for me never to deploy or advocate for an automatic in the field. Is the ZF 8HP the right gearbox for the Grenadier? Yes, it probably is, just not for an NGO rest of world specGrenadier.

Those Grenadier are gorgeous and simple, especially the interior!

Excellent analysis! That´s definitely food for thoughts! Thank you!!

Great video, awesome background, fully enjoyed it, thank you.

Really great breakdown, thanks for this. Hope I can buy it one day in the US here

Love the straight forward, direct rundown of the Grenadier. It's just like I'm sitting at the table across from you as you review the details... not listening to some salesman.

Thanks Andrew for the update. Keenly waiting for its trip down under and release. Andrew I notice no agreements have been reached for WA, will you be pushing for this?

Listen to your videos is like listen to my own heart if it comes to offroad vehicles :-D. I really, really (really, really...) hope, that you will be one of the first in Australia Ineos will give his Grenadier for a testdrive. About 260.000 (or even more) people are just waiting to see you driving this truck!

I know so many BMW drivers and laughed my box off when you summarized them perfectly!

Another great video Andrew, love ya stuff mate and the especially the term "no mechanical sympathy" that's a terminology I've been searching for, for a long time. Puts a lot of drivers/operators in a nut shell👍

I really love the idea that you never miss to speak of solid axle!

I'm in California,.What you say is so true about IFS. My 08 3500HD Silverado will be swapped soon to a solid axle to toughen my off-road capabilities. Great insight on the Ineous

Couldn't agree more regarding auto gearbox, all large tractors and new lorries use them now. I wouldn't go back. There is talk in the UK of them offering a 5 door VAN! With just two seats, better access, that's my pick. Double cab, all depends on rear length for me, at present it looks like it's going to be too short. Nice points of view as always, and I'd love to see you with one.👍

Really like the look of these Grenadiers. Can't wait for your review once you test drive one Andrew!

Loving his comments on the B58 I6 as he sits before a Buick-engined Range Rover. And Magna Steyr helping with its development. Seemed to work for the G-wagen. Can't wait to see him get his hands on one and wring its neck. Great vid, as always

I honestly love the Ineos. We are getting it here in the United States as well. I already recently picked up a new Lexus GX460 ( Land Cruiser Prado ). But feel like I should have waited for this one instead!

Off Topic - I'm currently reading your book "Torn Trousers" - bloody good and funny!

GREAT VIDEO Andrew ,well explained and i understood from watching the main videos from Ineos themselves, pricing is good for a vehicle engineered and robustly built as it is, of course time will tell, the Australian and Canadian dollar are pretty on par with each other, so I'd say it won't be to different we will have to wait a bit longer, later 2023 which allows me time to save more shekels for a down payment, i understand the work its takes in establishing dealer and service networks having worked for GM/Volvo and Komatsu industrial equipment here in Canada, things will come together in time and the buyers of these vehicles understand this in most cases, thx you very much once again 👍

Good words/video Andrew, 4wds keep getting more and more expensive...i cant justify the price in most cases but if reliable and refined this is an exception

Thanks for sharing your thoughts👍. Sadly I'll never be able to afford this type of vehicle. 🤷‍♂️ And if I could,, I would definitely wait several seasons for the mechanical bugs to get resolved. That said,, A heartfelt Thanks to You and Gwen for the unexpected post card, stickers and patch from 4XO 💙. Cheers 🍻, G, in beautiful Boulder City Nv. USA 🇺🇸

I’d like to see a update on the Mercedes vehicles now that the Australian military & Parks Victoria are using.

Andrew, I admire your enthusiasm. Mine has dwindled with each subsequent press release. It's the pragmatist in me I admit. I see many missing details glossed over with marketing BS.

Great edit - on a fantastic 4x4

Can't wait to watch what this channel will make of Rivian and the like when that type becomes more mainstream. Say what you will but it is the future.

I would imagine NGO’s and others buy manuals because clutches and manual transmissions are cheaper to replace and repair than autos? At any rate, I cannot WAIT to see the Ineos in person!

Hello Andrew, Dick here. While my overland rig is an 80 Series (its a keeper), my daily is an X5 3.0d. I've never ever thought of my X5 as a "Pretend off-road vehicle". It's an on-road SUV. Period! Anyone claiming it's an off-road vehicle (beyond driving on gravel roads), are delusional. Having said that, even with its 20" RF tyres, it did well without getting bogged tacking the Birubi Point end of Stockton Beach/Dune. Though nowhere near as easily nor effortlessly as my 80 series does. I won't even think at taking the X5 at the Stockton end (South) of the beach. The softer sand there will swallow the X5 whole.

Excellent set today!

Andrew, I really appreciate the hot/cold/hot sincerity of your review and only a hint of marketing; it's thorough and instructive, and matches real-world practicality.

Agreed. 100%. - Meaning, IF I had the finances I would buy a Grenadier in a heartbeat! I hope you buy one because I would love to learn what you would do to it, equip it, as well as learning your extended opinion about it. Keeping my fingers crossed it will happen.

Interesting, last night my dad asked me if I have heard anything about them lately. I said as far as I know they are moving along with the vehicle. But I haven't followed the news in months. Only saw a article pop up here and there. Coincidence, I think not. Edit: Hopefully Andrew gets one. 😁

looking forward to you getting one!

Thanks Andrew. So wish to call you Dr Andrew, but Uncle Andrew will do for now, (as I talk about you with my 4yo) but thank you for such a great and in-depth review, and sharing your deep Deep knowledge with us

G'day Andrew, I do understand that the Suzuki Jimny/Sierra is only a Tiny 4X4 & it is overlooked very often but when it comes to being a proper 4X4 it ticks the boxes. Solid F&R axels, separate transfer box etc, I know its only a baby in comparison to the Landcruiser but good things come in small package's, they can go most places the big boys go & a lot of places the larger 4X4 just cant fit. We have owned 5 so far buying our first in 1980 it was a LJ80V we cut our teeth with it up in the NT & heaps of black soil plans, our present one is a 2011 Jimny anyway they are just fun, fun & more fun Mate.

The B58 engine and ZF transmission are both excellent, funnily enough, the same engine and transmission ARE in a Toyota, the Supra, have a quick test drive of an X3 M40i, you will be blown away Andrew

The only one on KZfaqI truly trust to offer critical thinking on such vehicles. Truly enjoy the content sir!

Of the tyres that you can spec on your Ineos Grenadier direct from the factory I believe the road going ones are Bridgestone and the off road are BF Goodrich Not sure you’ll like either, but atleast with the 17 “ or 18” wheels there will be plenty of others available in your local markets etc

Hello Andrew, I think the major reason why NGOs go for manual gearboxes is that they are more reliable in the sense that if you have a challenge with the gearbox or the clutch in a remote area in places like Africa( I am actually from Ghana) it is relatively easy for the village mechanic to do something about the vehicle to allow you to drive home and later to an accredited service station. With automatics, very few mechanics can actually help you out on the field. You mostly will have to be towed to a service centre( more inconvenience and expensive)

All excellent points. It’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Either way, (here in the U.S.) I’ll be forced to simply watch from afar. Ugh!...

Great information thanks, I have just received my early follower email which is supposed to get me a early drive, but they never said where or when.. I do hope their 2 door ute has enough seat lumber or lay back for those quick power nap’s and behind the seat storage , unlike the early Cruisers.

BRILLIANT observations! Many thanks!

I prefer the 5 door station wagon as overland vehicle for my family. Two rooftop tents enables sleeping places for the 4 of us. 270 awning, Engel fridge, Goalzero lithium battery and some solar panels and we are ready to go. We love to travel simple and light as this is what overlanding is about. Less stuff, more travel to nice places. Until then I crave my Lexus LX470 with 2UZ-FE V8 engine. Life is good !

AUD100k otr for the shell version . Just as I anticipated , it'll be nearly 140 sexed up . If it faults and has lousy support , it'll be a stillbirth in Oz . Distributors of cars in Oz don't like keeping parts or doing warranty work .

Thanks for great news, Love this new '' defender''

Excellent synopsis sir! You bring a much needed intellectualism to Overlanding. Looking forward to seeing what this will cost in USA. I also love the Troopy, so sad Toyota gave up on the solid front axle. In total agreement on the 80 Series. Prices have been rising on them here.

I have set a rule for myself when assessing a car's reliability. Every car is unreliable unless proven otherwise. I can't see myself spending money on a new brand until I see how it goes for early adapters.

Why do NGO's like manual transmission's? You can't push start an automatic transmission.

that was a joy to watch....love your reasoning...and passion too 😊

Mechanical sympathy. I love it 👍🏼

I've always love going offroad. Starting with trailbikes, then to 4WDs when old enough to get my drivers license. The first 4WD I bought (in 2001) was a 2nd hand manual NJ Pajero. I was and still am a fan of Pajeros. I'm a fan of the Pajero's Super-select 4WD system. 👌 I love that car, even though people used to tease me for it not having a solid axle front-end. 😁And as one does, the more I got into 4WDing and it's lifestyle, the more I got to meet like minded people through forums and clubs. And when it came to gearbox type recommendations, to my surprised, most recommended an auto. I was expecting, the seasoned and hardcore off-roaders will make comments like "I'm a man, only manual for me" or "autos are for sissies" or "manuals are tougher than autos", you get the picture. But no, the majority (approx 90%) recommended to go with an auto. The usual reasons are the obvious ones, like being able to keep the momentum when changing gears in a steep rock crawl, or through bog holes/deep water crossings etc. So a few years later when I traded in my NJ to the NL, I got an auto. And it definitely was a more relaxed 4WD experience all round, particularly climbing up dunes etc.

The two door version will actually have 4 doors but no rear seats. So similar to the U.K. commercial Defender. I’m testing one on the 27th of this month. I will be seriously thinking about purchasing one for Overlanding as soon as they come out. I actually can’t wait!

I have personally seen the new grenadier I was working near by and had quick sneaky look. I think these will be game changer for Oz. Very much and a cross between g-waggon and Defender but has much more cabin space.

the 70 series should be made or be available in every country in the world.... at an affordable price, to all farmers...and thats that

I liked it so much more when the rumor was a $35k used starting price.

Thank you. Great insights and comparisons from a seasoned user of off road vehicles. As a "newbie to be" owner this is fully appreciated.

At Carfest 2021 I got to look around the Grenadier, they have done a fantastic job. At 6ft 4" and a heavy framed 19st I have never been a comfortable driver of Defenders, hence owning Discoverys, however, the front seats are comfortable with bags of room in the Grenadier...BUT not a lot of leg room for rear passengers unless they are children or Dwarfs. Overall, they have done a good job, but they need multiple versions, Utility version, longer wheelbase version, a short wheelbase version, and most of all...a simpler van version. Andrew, as I understand it from the show there will not be a van version in the strictest sense, the two door will still have rear (removable) seats.

Interested to see how these go in Australia. Think I will keep my 79 for now though until they are proved reliable for remote work

The only problem they have is that a new company trying to break ground in Australia and then making the Vehicle more expensive than the Competition will be too hard I think its Doomed

You have warmed to the grenadier Andrew,and you are right about auto v manual,fitted a mazda 3.5 turbo engine to a defender and it needed an auto to protect the drive train.It was one hell of an engine

Great summary and totally concur.

A Cummins crate engine would have been a great choice

The thing I worry the most is post purchase servicing. If they have to ship it back to a factory from whatever dealer you pick it up from, it's gonna be a massive pain. Also how do they plan on dealing with spare parts? Can you call them up and get whatever you need? do they have any compatibility with parts already on the market? I just worry about buying into a vehicle system that doesn't have a well established parts system.

Andrew, you evaluated the Ineos Grenadier very well. I’m just afraid it will go the way of Saab cars. A really well designed product that was introduced and built around the idea of safety, with solid construction, form follows function--totally practical but they died for lack of a mass market and were vacuumed up by a giant and thrown away.

I’ve driven off road here in Wales for decades, plus I also own a BMW 530d tourer and from my experience the 3 litre straight six engine mated to the ZF 8 speed auto are a great combination and I have no doubts it’ll be a big hit in the Grenadier.

Thanks for a great overview. Very interesting vehicle. My only gripe with it was the engine, but not because of BMW owners - because of reliability and parts / service costs. I've owned a couple of BMWs and they were nightmares mechanically - unreliable and expensive to fix. I have never had such experience with the Japanese cars I've owned - more reliable and cheaper to service. For an overland vehicle I think it's even more of a problem. Then there's the theory that the Euro engines don't fare so well in hot and dusty environments. I think they would have done much better to go Japanese, or even Korean..

Manual gearboxes in underground mining are preferred because there's no slip once in gear thus no running away downhill and all driving underground is up/downhill.

I love your Honesty, the Joy of being independant.

Yeah there is a reason I went back to an 80 series. best car you can have for overlanding in my opinion.

The main thing I find disappointing about the Grenadier (and it's not really something Ineos can be blamed for) is that it's only ever likely to be a "specialist" vehicle, which means an average person is never likely to be able to pick one up for a modest price, after it's been sold by the MOD or a utility company. In 20 year's time, if we're still allowed to drive petrol/diesel cars, all the new Defenders will be ancient history, the Grenadier will be a "unicorn" and the rest of us will still be buying and rebuilding Tdi and TD5 Defenders.

I am on the early list for deposits, and will do it just to get the option. $65k US is too expensive for what I need/want. I was hoping to get a base 4-door wagon for $50k, but that's probably wishful thinking. We'll see.

Great video. I'd be interested to see a video using the Ineos Grenadier configurator.

Hi Andrew. Please please consider meeting up with Dan Grec from "The Road Chose Me". Even if it's just the 2 of you sharing a campfire for one evening and talking about all things overlanding. A 30-45 min exchange between the 2 of you would be extremely interesting. If you can't get him on KZfaq, perhaps consider a podcast? Food for thought. I greatly appreciate your work, Andrew. Cheers

It will be interesting to see how the Grenadier stacks up with real people. It's looking very promising so far for someone who wants a durable live axle vehicle and doesn't want a Toyota. Hopefully it's doesn't become know as the grenade.

My biggest concern with the BMW engine is the plastic parts wearing out in fifteen or twenty years.

I had a crawl over one at the Goodwood Revival the other week and it did look fantastic.

I Preordered one in July 2020 mate. Looking forward to more information from you cheers 🍻

The BMW engines are awesome. I have owned two B58 petrol versions (1 and 3 series, no X :) ) and have driven the diesel for two weeks in a 5 series and they are the best of the best when it comes to engines. If that makes me a dick then so be it!

Is the 3.0 BMW engine the one with the timing chain at the back of the engine?. apparently late Bimmer sixes went that way to make more impact room for pedestrian impacts with the bonnet. The Chains are proving problematic and expensive to replace. Should have went with an Isuzu truck motor. If you are going to copy a land rover, copy the best one.

Also, really enjoyed checking out your videos, which I just discovered today. If nothing else the Grenadier is a great looking vehicle, and a fresh alternative look for a land with many Jeeps.

Such a unbiased legend , I am pretty sure he will be bashed by marketing crappy guys . Lucky to have a legend and learn from him. Salute and respect to Andrew

I have a few thoughts I'd like you to consider regarding automatic transmissions. when you mention its advantages of comfort, constant torque, and refined control that preserves other parts of the vehicle, I agree with you. and also that the automatic transmission, performs better than the manual, without a shadow of a doubt. in addition most automatic transmissions have manual gear control option, so basically you have a manual and automatic transmission in one, in the hands of an experienced driver, it's an unbeatable duo. but here comes my considerations, it all comes at a price, and when we put it together with inexperienced drivers, that's where it gets hazy. automatic transmissions usually need auxiliary cooling systems, sometimes have external radiators, sometimes inside the gearbox itself, and sometimes integrated into the vehicle's cooling system, which greatly increases the complexity and interdependence of systems, in fact, most of the problems with automatic transmissions is due to overheating, which is very rare in manuals. All modern automatic transmissions need a control module, and are usually integrated into the vehicle's ecu, which again increases systems dependency and complexity, your transmission may be ok but not shifting due to problems elsewhere. add these two items to a driver who doesn't know how to drive an automatic transmission: wrong gear selection, holding the car uphill with the accelerator instead of the brake etc. to heavy trail environments with constant crossing of flooded sections and you have enormous potential of failure and in case of electrical emergency, you can not make the car start in stride. there are many disadvantages for REALLY difficult terrain. Add to this the fact that automatic transmissions have a higher maintenance cost, a higher acquisition cost, and a cost per kilometer driven generally 20% higher.(here the disadvantages of torque converter, it loose energy to friction to create comfort) i think all these facts contribute to offroad people, still today, prefer manual over auto... I believe that for a touring/tourer vehicle autos it really is the best option, but for overlanding and hard long mud expeditions vehicles, manual is the choice.

I can see getting your hands on parts will be a problem. Outback Australia is Toyota country. Only have to drive the outback etc to see very little other dealerships. Heard many stories of people having to wait weeks for simple repairs on any other brands

Great video guys, keep them coming, continue the conversation online at the grenadier forum.

I have ordered my Grenadier. My clever guru mate has also designed a camper for the back... Sure, we do need exact sizes ... but a tweak or two with those and we will be in like a robbers dog! The team made some drawers, proved the design on a 2016 VW Caravelle and with a tweak or three - serious mischief is planned! I recently did 24K around Aust in the VW. My wife passed that first version with full marks. THANK YOU Andrew. Your opinions are greatly appreciated.