New UK 4×4 manufacturer Ineos Automotive has unveiled its plans for selling and servicing its Grenadier 4×4, and revealed the vehicle have a starting price of £48,000.
Reservations are now open for the Grenadier, which is intended to fill the gap left by the demise of the original Land Rover Defender in 2016.
Ineos head Jim Ratcliffe initially made a proposal to Jaguar Land Rover to continue manufacturing the Defender, and when this was declined decided to design and manufacture his own version. Ratcliffe believes there is a market, particularly among the likes of farmers, who will not be drawn to the all-new Land Rover Defender launched in 2020.
Ineos plans to have 200 sales and service outlets across the globe ready for the launch of the Grenadier in July 2022, a mix of established dealer groups and 4×4 specialists. Of these 23 retail sites are expected to be in the UK – three have already been appointed.
The aftersales format has been developed over three years by Ineos and German engineering and technology giant Robert Bosch – Grenadier owners will also have access to a network of Bosch workshops which should mean owners are never more than 50km from a service outlet.
The company is also working on a comprehensive online sales and service platform. Ineos commercial director Mark Tennant said: “Customer convenience, parts availability, service quality: we are focusing on getting the basics right, giving customers the buying experience they want and the aftersales support they need.
“If preferred, customers in our main markets will be able to buy their Grenadier online, including organising vehicle finance and handling any part exchanges. But we fully accept that most will want to try before they buy, for which having an extensive network on the ground is essential.”
