Ineos Grenadier

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Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Wednesday 6th December 2023
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Got4wheels said:
I've been hoping someone would post a Readers' Cars thread, thanks Lefty, it's a fascinating read. I'll be following with interest.

Theres one of these knocking around the local villages close to where I live, they look far better in the metal and look deliberately like an old Defender. I did feel pretty sorry for the guy as he snaked around the B road, my Tourneo Custom likely has better road manners!

The overhead switches you get in them, will they be of any use or are they just a gimmick?

Michael
Thanks.

The roof switches look like a real gimmick but if you think about the brief, they wanted everything to be able to be used without a touchscreen. That would entail an awful lot of physical switches in one small portion of the dash and they would need to be made smaller and closer together which then makes them harder to use with cold hands or thick gloves on.

Splitting then into “normal” car controls like HVAC, volume, heated seats, hazards etc in the “normal” place and the off-road specific stuff up on the roof seems a logical split.

They’re large, well spaced out, easy to see and I daresay once you’ve used them a few times it will be easy to remember where they are. It feels quite natural to reach up for them.

I really like the idea, it’s a point of difference and a bit of a quirk that will no doubt become synonymous with the Grenadier.

The switches themselves are ok, I’d prefer a bit more of a positive feel to them. I rather suspect somebody will make replacements. There is already a growing range of off-road bits (bumpers, roo bars, better bash plates, rock sliders, wheels, springs, seat covers and dash pads and the like), much of it in SA and Australia.



Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Saturday 9th December 2023
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There’s a service agent in the little town about 15 miles from here and I popped in this morning just to say hello really.

Lovely folk, enthusiastic. Look after 7 or 8 locally, young fella checked all the recall stuff on the computer, making sure everything’s been done - which it has. They can do any warranty work and software updates etc etc. they haven’t had any major problems with any so far, just routine servicing and software updates.

Pretty happy with that. He was saying he was at a big service place “down South”* for a week doing training on them. Seems a pretty slick setup. They’re one of those Bosch diesel centres, just a small family business but I’m getting a decent feeling from them.




  • could really be anywhere South of Aberdeen

Edited by Lefty on Saturday 9th December 11:47

ferret50

931 posts

10 months

Saturday 9th December 2023
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Lefty said:
Pretty happy with that. He was saying he was at a big service place “down South”* for a week doing training on them. Seems a pretty slick setup. They’re one of those Bosch diesel centres, just a small family business but I’m getting a decent feeling from them.




  • could really be anywhere South of Aberdeen

Edited by Lefty on Saturday 9th December 11:47
Did he take an armed guard with him?

biglaugh

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Saturday 9th December 2023
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hehe

Maybe a translator

josh00mac

321 posts

109 months

Saturday 9th December 2023
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Lefty said:
In the spirit of a balanced review and recording the downsides as well the things I like, here’s one.

An £80k utility vehicle really ought to have a heated front screen.

I actually thought it did have a heated screen until I went to use it and it just put the blowers on max aimed at the screen. My wife’s 20yo Defender has a heated screen!!

My 2019 Transit has and so useful in really cold weather.

We were away this weekend but the weather station shows -11 low last night.

Edited by Lefty on Sunday 3rd December 19:32
I thought this is a Ford patent issue? Do any other models, not owned by Ford, have this? Transit obv, older defenders will have them from when LR was owned by Ford… could be wrong.

paddycam

504 posts

126 months

Saturday 9th December 2023
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josh00mac said:
Lefty said:
In the spirit of a balanced review and recording the downsides as well the things I like, here’s one.

An £80k utility vehicle really ought to have a heated front screen.

I actually thought it did have a heated screen until I went to use it and it just put the blowers on max aimed at the screen. My wife’s 20yo Defender has a heated screen!!

My 2019 Transit has and so useful in really cold weather.

We were away this weekend but the weather station shows -11 low last night.

Edited by Lefty on Sunday 3rd December 19:32
I thought this is a Ford patent issue? Do any other models, not owned by Ford, have this? Transit obv, older defenders will have them from when LR was owned by Ford… could be wrong.
I think the exclusivity of the patent has expired. My wife's MINI has a heated screen.

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Saturday 9th December 2023
quotequote all
Yeah loads of cars have heated front screens these days.

Speaking of screens…mine cracked today. Maybe a 4” crack, middle of the screen at the bottom. I wasn’t aware of a stone hitting it at any time.

Bugger.

RicksAlfas

13,408 posts

245 months

Sunday 10th December 2023
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josh00mac said:
I thought this is a Ford patent issue? Do any other models, not owned by Ford, have this? Transit obv, older defenders will have them from when LR was owned by Ford… could be wrong.
My 2021 Volvo has one.

I remember for a period of time some cars had a partially heated front screen which just keep the area where the wipers parked clear. I wonder if that was a way round the Ford patent?

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Tuesday 19th December 2023
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3 weeks in, driven about 1000 miles.

Here’s my list of gripes.

1. Not much cabin storage space
2. Tiny glovebox
3. No rear cupholders. Kids spilling drinks, just as well the floor is easily cleaned, no carpets y’see
4. Start/stop has to be switched off every journey (it doesn’t remember your selection and there’s no way I’ve found in the menus to default it to off)
5. Dog guard rattle a bit. Maybe need to wrap the top mounts in tape to stop them from moving.

That’s it.

Footwell bump is complete non-issue
Steering is complete non-issue
Turning circle is complete non-issue


bolidemichael

13,905 posts

202 months

Thursday 21st December 2023
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Lefty: I found an owner in a car park and he was really enthusiastic and even offered to let me drive it, which was really nice.

also Lefty: I’m 6’4” which really isn’t that tall by the standards of WWF wrestlers hehe

DirktheDaring

320 posts

13 months

Thursday 21st December 2023
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No4 is by design I suspect to appease climate loons, I had it coded out on my VW for £50.

I really like these, I’d take one over a new Defender all day long, enjoy cool

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Thursday 21st December 2023
quotequote all
bolidemichael said:
Lefty: I found an owner in a car park and he was really enthusiastic and even offered to let me drive it, which was really nice.

also Lefty: I’m 6’4” which really isn’t that tall by the standards of WWF wrestlers hehe
hehe

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Thursday 21st December 2023
quotequote all
DirktheDaring said:
No4 is by design I suspect to appease climate loons, I had it coded out on my VW for £50.

I really like these, I’d take one over a new Defender all day long, enjoy cool
Ahhh that’s interesting, thanks. Hopefully somebody will work out how to do it on a Grenadier soon.

sunnyb13

962 posts

39 months

Friday 22nd December 2023
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really really want one of these in the B58 guise, when they hit the £30k mark. could be waiting many a years

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Friday 22nd December 2023
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sunnyb13 said:
really really want one of these in the B58 guise, when they hit the £30k mark. could be waiting many a years
Maybe 2-3 years.

I am still two minds about petrol v diesel. Torque of the b57 is amazing and it’s mid-high 20’s mpg. B58 a bit quicker, definitely simpler but re-sale probably not as good. High teens or low 20’s expected mpg. Diesel great for towing. Going forwards I can see diesel being taxed a lot more than petrol but who knows?

Pflanzgarten

3,976 posts

26 months

Saturday 23rd December 2023
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From owners I’ve spoke to, petrol average mpg is low teens.

It is what it is.

ChocolateFrog

25,501 posts

174 months

Saturday 23rd December 2023
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Pflanzgarten said:
From owners I’ve spoke to, petrol average mpg is low teens.

It is what it is.
Probably not a huge issue for the first and maybe second buyers but that's going to bite further down the line.

And even then a 350 mile range before you start towing something must be a pain.

The 400 miles I get out of my tank often feels less than sufficient.

duncancallum

839 posts

179 months

Saturday 23rd December 2023
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Check the front brake flexis

I'm on a few mechanic boards and seen a post about flexi hitting the tyres

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Saturday 23rd December 2023
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Thanks, I had the wheels off this week fitting winter tyres and they’re ok.

The Ineos service dealer mentioned it, it’s a known thing.

Speaking of winter tyres, I went to lift it up on my scissor lift and I couldn’t, due to shape and position of the rear 4 link brackets I can’t get the blocks into the chassis legs at a safe place. Think I might be up getting my local Smithie to make a frame of some sort to sit between the lift and the grenadier.

Lefty

Original Poster:

16,168 posts

203 months

Saturday 23rd December 2023
quotequote all
Pflanzgarten said:
From owners I’ve spoke to, petrol average mpg is low teens.

It is what it is.
Yeah absolutely. A lot of people using them in Africa seem to prefer petrol because of concerns over availability of decent quality diesel. And then if course, range becomes an issue.

I’ve seen an image of a much smaller exhaust silencer which allows a bigger bespoke tank.