Ineos already has two autos based mostly on its rugged ladder-frame chassis, however the firm claims there’s “enormous 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 believe that there’s nonetheless enormous scope for us to actually spherical out the total functionality of our Grenadier platform,” stated Mr Hocevar.
“It’s an ideal platform to work on. We wish to keep in our lane be a specialist 4×4 producer, and I believe there’s nonetheless enormous scope for us to do all method of various configurations on high of this platform.”
On the Goodwood Pageant of Pace earlier this 12 months Ineos did reveal a big range of idea autos based mostly 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 car.
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 grew to become obtainable “we’d be placing our hand up for it, however we’ve bought to stroll earlier than we run”.
“I believe Goodwood [Festival of Speed] bought us all excited in regards to the romantic notions of V8s, the sound, acoustic expertise and all the pieces like that,” stated Mr Hocevar.
“We’d have to truly go an extended method to get a better output energy unit into the car that might be actually purposeful in it.”
The V8-powered Grenadier prototype has a Normal 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 specific sorts Ineos presently isn’t exploring. An instance of those embody 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 of very early on in improvement” stated Mr Hocevar.
“There are actually some markets around the globe the place a third-row configuration can be actually widespread.
“For us proper right here, proper now, with our manufacturing capability, the worldwide markets we’re launching in, the better prominence of the five-seat market, implies that we’re going to remain centered on that.
“However I believe it’s a watch and act. We all know that we’ve bought that longer wheelbase [with the Grenadier Quartermaster].
One other Grenadier physique configuration Ineos isn’t presently contemplating is a single-cab model of the Quartermaster.
“For this market, it’s a relentless, ‘Hey, this is a crucial 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 want to have the ability to supply a really numerous and specialised portfolio of autos.
“However proper right here, proper now, we’re slightly over a 12 months into launching the wagon. We’re now launching the dual-cab. That could be a a lot larger section than the single-cab market.
“The one-cab market, it’s an necessary one, and we all know that there are consumers on the market for that kind of car, however globally talking, it’s extremely aggressive. It’s very price-driven.
‘The chance will not be fairly as massive for us, however we’ll actually be retaining a eager eye on it, and if that chance exists, as I stated, by no means say by no means.”
