The newest defender of old-school off-roading will be seen on Kiwi soil.

 WHO will represent Ineos in New Zealand and when its eerily familiar debut product will become available is yet to be sorted.

 Yet Kiwi fans of a certain flavour of old-school off-roader can be assured: Grenadier IS coming. 

That’s the word from a public relations firm based in Australia that has identified itself as acting on behalf of the British company in this part of the world.

A request to Ineos in the United Kingdom to provision clarity about its intentions in New Zealand resulted in comment coming from DecPR.

 Ruth Fletcher, senior account manager for the Sydney firm, assures NZ is a target market for what is essentially a tribute to the now defunct original Land Rover Defender.

 But crucial details remain unfulfilled.

“It’s too early to confirm distribution and market entry timings. 

“It’s too early to confirm distribution plans.

 “But Ineos is evaluating the opportunities to innovate in this area without the constraints of legacy systems.”

Grenadier’s expected to be available from late-2021 or early 2022, first arriving as the four-wheel-drive wagon seen here with the four-door utility format also shown in the official photos coming close behind.

The price is as much under wraps as the interior’s design, but there have been suggestions in Australian media that the wagon model will cost from $NZ74,000. 

The Ineos car brand was spawned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of a multi-billion dollar British petrochemical company named Ineos and such an avowed fan of a certain Land Rover that he vowed to resurrect its spirit.

Conjecture that his first born would very much be a successor to that model in size and general shape has proven accurate, yet while there are clear design references to the old Defender and a specification that could easily pass for a modernised version of the 1948 original, it’s not so close as to be considered a clone. It obviously also has more than hint of the Mercedes G-Class about it.

The head of design, Toby Ecuyer, does not have a background with the Green oval brand. Rather, he started his career as an architect, and more recently has been designing super yachts.

Ecuyer says he took inspiration from a host of vehicles known for their uncomplicated and honest design approaches. “From Unimogs to military vehicles to aircraft to lorries and vans. To the Willys jeep, obviously, and Land Rover, the Land Cruiser Nissan Patrol, Bronco … literally everything. 

Ineos cites the Grenadier’s purpose has being “to meet the demands of its future owners for a rugged, capable and comfortable go-anywhere working vehicle.” 

Says chef executive Dirk Heilmann about the decision to unveil the shape now: “Showing the design now allows us to focus on the critical next phase of the vehicle’s development, testing its capability and durability. 

“We have a very challenging programme ahead, as we put prototypes through their paces in all conditions, on the way to accumulating some 1.8 million test kilometres over the coming year.”

He figures taking the covers off and “testing ‘in plain sight’ without the need for camouflage wrapping, foam blocks or fake panels” is an added benefit that’ll keep the model in enthusiasts’ minds until actual release.

The Grenadier will be built in Wales on a ladder-frame chassis designed by Austrian automotive design and manufacturing experts Magna Steyr, the world’s foremost automotive contract constructor. Mercedes G-Class, Toyota Supra and BMW Z4, Jaguar I-Pace and E-Pace and BMW 5-Series models are also presently built by Magna Steyr.

The suspension includes Carraro beam axles front and rear, progressive-rate springs with ZF-sourced dampers, and two Universal Velocity joints in a simple, robust, easy to maintain and repair setup.

The frame is constructed from steel and just about every panel from the doors to the bonnet is produced with aluminium – much like the original Defender.

Ineos has sourced its engines from BMW, settling on petrol or diesel straight-six turbocharged units, ‘based on’ the powerplants employed the X5 SUV.  

The potential power output for the petrol is around 250kW and 500Nm of torque, with the diesel available with four turbos to produce almost 300kW and 760Nm. The engines drive through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive system with a low range transfer case and mechanical locking centre differential.

Ineos is also talking about its homage to the past taking a trip into the future, with possibility of it also using fuel cell technology.

The interior is said to be comfortable yet rugged for the expected off-road duties.