Updates, links & clarifications: 1. LC300 engineer interview series l2sfbc.com/developing-a-modern-4x4-lc300-engineer-interview/ 2. Graceful degradation concept l2sfbc.com/how-modern-4x4s-should-be-designed/ 3. Vehicle weights using Grenadier as an example kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pZ6dg5SjzrGup6c.html 4. Grenadier offroad review kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gbqXqNOTx7jKn5s.html 5. Interview series with AsiaPac boss Justin kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aK6habKCyMutfaM.htmlsi=7M6LvlK7_I9cLV6r Part 2 of this series is available for my supporters on Patreon and KZfaq channel membership. Part 3 and 4 will follow soon.

New manufacturer. But transparent (more so than existing manufacturers). Have they got it 100% right? No. But the fact that you have access to the chief engineer and can ask these sorts of questions without a PR person getting in the way of an honest response gives me hope that they will learn and adapt quickly.

Another well researched and pertinent interview Robert. It had me even as a light duty 4x4 owner with simple engineering but added hub locks up front part time 4x4 ute Dmax

Some very well considered questions. I would guess that for an "adventure vehicle" you need greater resilience to soft failures than needed for ordinary road use. Sadly with my most recent cars I have resorted to obtaining dealer software, it is not a case of hacking the vehicles but is needed to "reset counters" when you do simple maintenance, for instance changing transmission fluid or even replacing a battery. I do understand that a representative from the makers is not wanting to make too many assertions of what can be done with a standard OBD tool, it perhaps needs someone to investigate.

It makes sense to have a torsion centre differential. A lockable open centre is not necessarily stronger. Mitsubishi for example have had a very strong torsion centre for decades. Cheers

Perhaps ask when we can expect to be able to reset the maintenance indicator after an oil change/seevice performed by self. This one is a huge miss for owners who bought this vehicle on the promise of being easily serviceable.

The wheel speed sensor is an interesting point. Doesn't the Grenadier require this for the use of the axle diff locks. You can't relock a diff until the wheel speed sensor has confirmed it's unlocked?

What we Grenadier owners all want to know specifically: “Is there an OBD scanner we can use that reads and corrects errors and if not, why not?” When will the workshop and parts manuals be released?

Less electronic reliability - why then does things like the front winch & rear NATO socket run through the Body Control Module and the winch not operate or power is cut to the rear socket via electronic inputs remote from the driver inputs? Why the inability to engage the axle diff locks in high range or the front diff lock without the rear?

I 100% agree with the use of permanent 4WD. I believe part time 4WD is a totally pointless exercise - why have 4WD if most of the time it isn’t. 2WD isn’t needed in a 4WD/4x4 - that’s the point. You don’t buy a 4WD to go 2WDing. The fuel savings have been tested over and over and they are negligible 2WD vs 4WD). In summary if a vehicle is 4WD, make it permanent 4WD and forget this part time rubbish. However - As for the “centre diff” being either open or locked - I disagree. A permanent 4WD should have a variable “centre diff” (lockable is an option if you want) as long as it can vary from essentially open to essentially closed; 0% (or near) to 100% (or near). Either locked or open is rubbish as has been seen by the Grenadier’s performance.

He calls it permanent 4WD, yet in the video you continually referred to it as permanent AWD. My understanding is that there is a difference between these two types of driving systems, so who’s right here, does the Grenny have permanent 4WD or an AWD system?

AWD, 4X4, & 4WD all the same just different terminology. Permanent 4WD has above all serious safety advantages over part time 4WD when towing heavy trailers uphill if you have ever towed with a Japanese part time 4WD pickup and lost traction uphill then proceeded to go backwards down a steep hill you will agree.

The fact that he has to take a note and check on DTCs and ODB readers seems to suggest that he's not alive to the issue. That's disappointing. All we're getting from Ineos is fuzzy answers on this. Ease of repair was on the piece of paper he held up as the original spec!

Odd to say everything designed around functionality which has payload high on the list, then fail to meet the brief of 1 tonne target in favour of a secondary goal.

6:28 The comment about drive train loss: isn't that technically only correct if the fornt wheel hubs would be able to disengage the front wheels in a part time 4wd? Otherwise in both cases the same amount of parts need to be moved. In part time 4wd this happens over the detour of the ground by moving the car you move the front wheels, the front diff and the front driveshafts even if you sidconnect it in the center. And in permanent 4wd with a center diff, you move the same parts but directly instead of indirectly. So the fairy tale of part time 4wd needing less fuel than permanent 4wd is (in my opnion) just that: a fairy tale. (unless, as i said there is also a drivetrain decoupling at the front wheels so the driveshafts and front diff would be able to not spin. But i think there are very few cars on the market that can do that today. At least here in central europe there is none to my knowledge) Also: Fun Fact from a book about the Audi quattro system: Audi engineers in the late 70's when working on the first quattro were surprised that it didn't increase fuel consumption as much as they had calculated. They then figured out why: a driven wheel has less rolling resistance. (Meaning the front wheels in a permanent 4wd car have less rolling resistance than in a part time that is in 2wd.) In my opinion permanent 4wd has the advantage that the toque of the engine is split between 4 wheels, and so each tyre-ground interface has to deal with less torque than in 2wd. So when driving on a slippery surface, wheels will start to spin "later".

I don't think he knows as much as this channel's viewers.

Wondering if loss of a wheel speed sensor would affect the ability to disengage diff locker(s).

Great questions, some incredibly bad answers from the chief engineer. Sometimes he has no idea what the background of your questions is 🤔