Ineos already has two autos primarily based on its rugged ladder-frame chassis, however the firm claims there’s “large scope” for extra configurations sooner or later.
The fledging off-road specialist model already presents the Grenadier wagon in two- and five-seat configurations, in addition to the 30cm-longer Grenadier Quartermaster ute in each pickup and cab-chassis physique kinds.
Talking with CarExpert, Ineos Automotive head of APAC area Justin Hocevar stated the platform underpinning the Grenadier is nice to work on.
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“I feel that there’s nonetheless large scope for us to actually spherical out the complete functionality of our Grenadier platform,” stated Mr Hocevar.
“It’s an important platform to work on. We need to keep in our lane be a specialist 4×4 producer, and I feel there’s nonetheless large scope for us to do all method of various configurations on prime of this platform.”
On the Goodwood Competition of Pace earlier this yr Ineos did reveal a big range of idea autos primarily based on the Grenadier and Grenadier Quartermaster.
Examples included a V8-powered wagon, a so-called ‘Shortermaster’ pickup, a portal axle-equipped Quartermaster, a FIA-compliant rally raid racer, and a Grenadier Safari automobile.
It additionally revealed a hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) Grenadier wagon demonstrator a month earlier.
At this stage it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not any of those ideas will truly go into manufacturing.
When requested about whether or not a manufacturing V8-powered Grenadier is on the horizon, Mr Hocevar stated if it turned out there “we’d be placing our hand up for it, however we’ve acquired to stroll earlier than we run”.
“I feel Goodwood [Festival of Speed] acquired us all excited in regards to the romantic notions of V8s, the sound, acoustic expertise and the whole lot like that,” stated Mr Hocevar.
“We’d have to truly go an extended method to get the next output energy unit into the automobile that will be actually purposeful in it.”
The V8-powered Grenadier prototype has a Common Motors LS-series V8 engine producing 317kW of energy and 625Nm of torque.
Though Mr Hocevar stated the Grenadier platform is nice to work on for physique configurations, there are particular sorts Ineos at the moment isn’t exploring. An instance of those embrace a seven-seat model of the Grenadier wagon.
‘[A seven-seat SUV] is one which we’ve been wrestling with for a while already. In reality this was an idea that was thought-about very early on in improvement” stated Mr Hocevar.
“There are actually some markets around the globe the place a third-row configuration could be actually standard.
“For us proper right here, proper now, with our manufacturing capability, the worldwide markets we’re launching in, the higher prominence of the five-seat market, implies that we’re going to remain targeted on that.
“However I feel it’s a watch and act. We all know that we’ve acquired that longer wheelbase [with the Grenadier Quartermaster].
One other Grenadier physique configuration Ineos isn’t at the moment contemplating is a single-cab model of the Quartermaster.
“For this market, it’s a continuing, ‘Hey, this is a vital section’ and we’d prefer to play in it,” stated Mr Hocevar.
Proper now, it’s not on this system. It’s a by no means say by no means, as I’ve talked about earlier than, we’re a specialist 4×4 firm, and we wish to have the ability to supply a really various and specialised portfolio of autos.
“However proper right here, proper now, we’re somewhat over a yr into launching the wagon. We’re now launching the dual-cab. That may be a a lot larger section than the single-cab market.
“The only-cab market, it’s an necessary one, and we all know that there are consumers on the market for that sort of auto, however globally talking, it’s extremely aggressive. It’s very price-driven.
‘The chance will not be fairly as giant for us, however we’ll actually be preserving a eager eye on it, and if that chance exists, as I stated, by no means say by no means.”
