Ask INEOS - Does the Grenadier Have ETC?

[Glen]

Because the published documentation is lacking, I sent Ineos the following letter:

Ineos,

I purchased my 2025 Grenadier Trialmaster in October, 2025. In addition to the standard center locking differential, my vehicle is equipped with optional front and rear locking differentials.

I'm writing to ask for an operational description of an "Electronic Traction Control" system (ETC), if such a system is fitted to my vehicle or any other models. I suspect this system may exist and, when applied to an open differential, provide a result similar to a limited slip differential. Specifically, I'm interested in:

• Does an ETC system exist in all Grenadiers / Quartermasters?
• Is ETC a separate system or is it part of another system?
• What mechanism does ETC employ to intervene?
• What conditions prompt ETC intervention?
• What circumstances will defeat the ETC system?

To rule out other topics, I have found appropriate documentation in my owner's manual for these other systems that may activate the brakes: ABS, ESC, AEB, Downhill Assist and Uphill Assist. But the documentation that I can find about an ETC system seems ambiguous. Please understand I'm not writing to quibble about grammar - I'm only seeking to learn more about the systems present in my vehicle.

Here are the resources I've located and what they say about the possibility of an ETC system:

Window Sticker
The window sticker for my vehicle lists "Automatic Traction Control" under safety equipment and is similar to the term ETC. The term "Automatic Traction Control" does not seem to appear in the owner's manual or in the online Grenadier technical manuals.

Owners Manual
The manual provided with my 2025 Trialmaster notes on page 11 that it ". . . addresses features that were available for ordering on a 2024 Grenadier for the United States market." This implies the features offered in 2024 are identical to those offered in 2025.

The only reference I can find in the owner's manual to something like ETC is found on page 138 under the heading Traction Control. The complete entry says "Traction control senses when a wheel is slipping during acceleration. It can reduce torque to a wheel to reduce the risk of such slipping." Note that this entry says traction control only operates during acceleration.

I believe this definition of Traction Control is incorrect. The Trialmaster cannot selectively reduce torque to an individual wheel. With an open differential, both axle shafts always receive equal torque. If the lower-traction wheel is braked, the resistance increases and the differential transmits more torque to both wheels. This may reduce or stop wheel spin.

Ineos Online Resources
I don't find any mention of an ETC system in the online Grenadier technical manuals.

I did find mention of an ETC system in an Ineos marketing page under the heading Grenadier vs the Desert (see https://ineosgrenadier.com/en/us/the-vehicle/testing-and-development). Here's the relevant text for that entry:

• "Electronic Traction Control (ETC) monitors wheel slip. And selectively applies brakes to regain traction. But traditionally, ETC doesn’t cope well on sand. Overcompensating and cutting power to wheels it thinks are slipping. So we did as we always do in every testing location: drive, calibrate, repeat. Until the Grenadier’s ETC learned the constantly shifting characteristic of dunes – diff-locks engaged or not. Allowing sufficient wheel slip to maintain momentum keeping the Grenadier on top of the sand."

What's odd here is that the owner's manual specifically recommends turning ESC (not ETC) ". . . off to prevent traction control cutting power to the wheels on certain surfaces (e.g., in sand)" See the owner's manual, Driving On Road | Electronic Stability Control, page 139. So the interaction between ESC, "traction control" and a potential ETC system seems very muddied.

Information Provided By the Dealer
I contacted the service department of Red Noland Ineos in Colorado Springs, Colorado to ask about this issue. The service manager said he had driven a 2023 Grenadier without locking front or rear differentials and that automatic individual wheel braking was employed to simulate a limited slip differential in some low traction situations. He continued that it took some number of revolutions of a spinning wheel before the feature would activate. Finally, he suspected - but did not know for sure if - this feature was present on subsequent model years since it wasn't documented very well.

Any information you can provide regarding an ETC system would be very much appreciated by myself and others in the Ineos community.

They replied several weeks later with the following:

Thanks for contacting INEOS Automotive.
Thank you for your questions regarding the Electronic Traction Control (ETC) system on the Grenadier and Quartermaster models. Please find our detailed responses below.

1. Does an ETC system exist on all Grenadier and Quartermaster models?
Yes, an Electronic Traction Control system is fitted as standard on all Grenadier and Quartermaster models.

2. Is ETC a standalone system, or is it integrated as part of another system?
The traction control function is not a standalone system. It operates as part of the vehicle’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system. In other words, ETC is a functional element within the broader ESC architecture, working in coordination with other stability and safety features.

3. What mechanism does ETC use to intervene when wheel slip occurs?
When wheel slip is detected, the system intervenes using a combination of brake torque control and powertrain control.
Brake torque control applies braking force to the slipping wheel to restore traction. Powertrain control adjusts engine output to reduce excessive wheel spin and help stabilize the vehicle. These interventions work together to maintain traction and improve vehicle stability across varying driving conditions.

4. Under what conditions does ETC activate?
ETC activates when excessive wheel slip is detected by the wheel speed sensors. The system continuously monitors the rotational speed of each wheel, and when it identifies a significant difference indicating loss of traction, it automatically intervenes to correct it.

5. Are there circumstances in which the ETC system can be overridden or disabled?
Yes, there are specific conditions under which the ETC system can be overridden or disabled, depending on the selected driving mode or driver input. This is typically intended for particular off-road or low-traction scenarios where a different traction strategy may be preferred.

Should you require any further technical clarification, please let us know and we will be happy to assist.

Best regards,

INEOS Automotive Customer Care Team

So they answered most of the questions. Item 5 could probably use some further clarification. A sixth obvious question would be why not harmonize the terms used on the windows sticker, promotional materials and the owner's manual. And a seventh might be why not put this information in the owner's manual?

 

[AWo]

I could have answered this, as well.

ESC is mandatory in the EU since 2014. ETC is a necessary subsystem so that ESC can do its job. So ESC always includes ETC.

AWo

 

[Tazzieman]

I could have answered this, as well.

ESC is mandatory in the EU since 2014. ETC is a necessary subsystem so that ESC can do its job. So ESC always includes ETC.

AWo

We could have a separate thread : "Ask AWo"
Sort of a happy "Agony Aunt" to help us with our Grenadier relationship issues

 

[Glen]

I could have answered this, as well.

ESC is mandatory in the EU since 2014. ETC is a necessary subsystem so that ESC can do its job. So ESC always includes ETC.

AWo

It's not that I'd discount your information, it's that Ineos should be documenting this system in a clear, unambiguous manner and - at the very least - in the owner's manual. At least up to their repsonse to my inquiry, that doesn't seem to be the case.

We've had several discussions on this forum where various members debate the existence of such a system. A video series on Robert Pepper's YouTube channel has often been cited as evidence of the existence of a Grenadier ETC system, but all I found was Robert saying something along the lines of "...oh look, the ESC isn't engaging..." when he expected it to. So that's not very convincing evidence.