INEOS Automotive, the vehicle manufacturer founded in 2017 by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has completed the latest phase of dynamic testing for the Grenadier, its upcoming 4×4 vehicle.

The testing, done by INEOS Automotive’s engineering partner Magna Steyr on the trails of the Schöckl mountain near its headquarters in Austria, was designed to examine the Grenadier’s off-road capabilities.

“We’ve made great strides since the very early versions of the Grenadier I drove a year ago,” said Ratcliffe. “The Schöckl is a proper challenge for any 4X4. Today was a real test for our prototypes, and they came through very well. There is still work to do, but I am confident that the Grenadier will do the job we have developed it for.”

The Grenadier is being built on an all-new platform, will have a box-section ladder frame; live axles; multi-link suspension with separate coils and dampers; diff lockers front, rear and centre; and will be powered by a choice of BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol or diesel engines.

The testing program, which the company says will see more than 130 second-phase prototypes accumulate 1.8 million kilometres in extreme environments around the world, was unavoidably delayed through 2020, and the original 2021 launch date for the rugged off-roader has been pushed back to 2022.

Earlier this year, engineers successfully completed extensive cold weather engine calibration with Grenadier prototypes in northern Sweden. The next phase of the development and validation process will subject the Grenadier to intense hot weather testing in harsh environments, including Death Valley in the USA and the deserts of the Middle East.

“Reaching this important development milestone is a great step forward for the project,” said Dirk Heilmann, CEO of INEOS Automotive. “We only have one opportunity to get this right and our quality and performance targets for the Grenadier remain paramount. We won’t cut corners. After today’s very positive results we are on track to reach our targets and to allow the start of production in July next year at the latest.”

VIDEO: Testing the INEOS Grenadier

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (June 2021) 

9 June 2021