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

NATIONAL distribution rights and a date for first deliveries have been settled for the ‘not a Land Rover, and yet…’ Ineos Grenadier.

 Armstrongs, whose portfolio include a make that comes instantly to mind when Grenadier is discussed, will represent the brand from dealerships in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, with first examples likely to land in July of next year.

Pricing for the model “is expected” to kick off at $93,500, which makes it cheaper than the least expensive version of the latest Land Rover Defender – the car whose original format presentation so fixated UK industrialist Sir Jim Ratcliffe (above) that he sought to keep it in production after Land Rover retired it. 

When that plan was rejected, Ratcliffe - founder of a multi-billion dollar British petrochemical company named Ineos - funded the Grenadier (named after his favourite pub), which is being built as a sports utility as seen here and also as a traydecked utility.

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.

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.”

The Grenadier will be built in France 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 also used by Munich’s X5 SUV.  

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.

Founded by Cantabrian Rick Armstrong, the Armstrong dealership chain is national and includes a portfolio of new cars brands, including Land Rover. Others are Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Audi, Volvo, Porsche, Subaru, Peugeot, Citroën, Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Ram and Fiat.