Documenting My Journey to Buy a Grenadier in Canada

[Lexx]

We split our time between NorCal and Vancouver, B.C. My wife is from Vancouver and our kids are dual citizens. So we're up there during the major week long holiday breaks and all summer long. I hope to buy a Grenny by the time we return to BC this summer. There's a LOT to explore in the PNW. Is it easy (or even possible) to toggle the speedo between MPH and KmPH? It's easy enough to do the mental math but it's way easier to just glance at the speedo.

 

[Dogwood]

We split our time between NorCal and Vancouver, B.C. My wife is from Vancouver and our kids are dual citizens. So we're up there during the major week long holiday breaks and all summer long. I hope to buy a Grenny by the time we return to BC this summer. There's a LOT to explore in the PNW. Is it easy (or even possible) to toggle the speedo between MPH and KmPH? It's easy enough to do the mental math but it's way easier to just glance at the speedo.

Apparently it’s not possible to toggle the speedo on US spec vehicles. I would assume Canadian spec are also locked to only display KM/H.

And yes, the PNW has so much to explore! My Xterra has 260,000km on the odo, so she’s certainly getting long in the tooth. And more importantly I’ve lost a degree of confidence about taking her up logging roads. If something serious broke on my Xterra 50km up a logging road, then it makes for a very long walk back to civilization. Hence the desire to acquire a Grenny!

 

[Dogwood]

I love Vancouver, BC. In fact, headed there this weekend for fun. I do weekend trips several times a year to get out of dodge. Such an incredible city.

I use my IG as a daily driver, Erewhon/Equinox, occasional PNW and Joshua Tree visits mobile.

• All I need is the diff locks. Any serious 4x4 comes factory triple locked. Non-negotiable.
• I can't stand sunroofs so safari windows are a deal breaker. They all inevitably leak over time. My current loaner has them and the heat beats down on your noggin and I don't want some corny aftermarket cover.
• I want leather, but the quality is meh so would be fine with cloth.
• I absolutely don't want more ADAS so a 24-25 strongly preferred since that amazingly useless lane change braking feature can't be permanently disabled.
• 17" steelies a must. A $90K USD car that dares to come with tiny steelies in this day and age - . The 18" alloys are ugly af, but if it came with them, remedied easily enough.
• Premium sound would've been nice to have; it def sounds better than without.
• Must be Donny Gray

FWIW, I've come close to dumping my IG because I have vehicle ADD, yet it remains in the stable because of its tank-like feel. IMHO, there's nothing wrong with how it steers or behaves on road bone stock. It's a truck with character and the moment you mess with the original design with aftermarket parts, you sully it and its generous warranty coverage. I love its purity with zero equivocation around who it's supposed to be: Unapologetically, brutally truckish in a 36 month rent-a-car era where even Toyota and Mercedes tapped out with IFS pandering to the North American soccer 'rents who go full steering lock in Costco parking lots as the norm (mechanical sympathy: clueless).

Enough of my soap box action. Enjoy the search! In all my visits, have yet to see an IG in Vancouver.

Totally agree on Vancouver being a beautiful place. I’ve travelled a lot and I can’t think of a place with a more perfect summer. While April 25th might be perfect elsewhere, between May and September in the PNW is basically perfect. Just the right temperature. Not humid. Long days. Stable weather. No bugs.

Regarding your point on the safari windows; You meant I ones that they all eventually leak. Is that a grenadier specific thing, or a limitation of that design of window?

But I’m with you on the ADAS stuff. The 2026 model year with the camera in the rear view mirror is a big red flag. After test driving I can see why a wolf box mirror is a popular upgrade, the stock rear view mirror’s field of view is probably 40% obscured by the cargo door pillar and spare tyre.

There is a nice counter flex to having 17” steelies on an expensive vehicle. I didn’t actually clock that bachelorette number one in my OP actually had 18” alloys. That’s another strike against her. The PNW logging roads will chew up those alloys wheels faster than a chicken hawk in a coop of crippled roosters.

Onward!

 

[Dogwood]

Hey another Canuck! I was looking for new too, used was more in my price range and I happened to find my exact spec in Weissach. Bought it last week and should ship to me (YYC) tomorrow.

So excited, I’ll post when I put hands on. I already have a long list of upgrades I want to add (don’t tell my wife)

Congrats on the purchase. Which one of the inventory did you decide to pick up? That was lucky that they had exactly the configuration you wanted on the lot. And question, if you’re buying from Alberta do you get hit with BC PST? Or do you not have to pay that since they’re shipping to AB?

 

[OkGo]

For U.K. vehicles that’s the case. Not so for US Grenadiers I understand.

Wait... Don't tell me... Weight saving ? They saves 0.001gm by removing the 10 bytes of code

 

[Krabby]

Wait... Don't tell me... Weight saving ? They saves 0.001gm by removing the 10 bytes of code

It's all about fuel economy - every bit counts!

 

[Dogwood]

It's all about fuel economy - every bit counts!

It’s kinda crazy to think that the Grenadier software couldn’t simply geofence the option to adjust KM/H to MPH based on where the vehicle is physically located. It’s not like the truck doesn’t know where it is all the time for things like the ADAS speed limit bing-bong alerts. Honestly as a software guy myself, I’d think it would be simpler to have the option geofenced rather than hard coded based on regulatory market. In one case the software just takes care of itself in the other you’re dealing with code base or configuration forks for each regulatory market. We can only hope that the rise of AI makes software engineering “too cheap to meter” and these types of things go away. Who knows, maybe us posting about this here will eventually spawn an improvement once a swarm of bug fixing AI bots gets deployed with the objective of “make the grenadier’s software suck less”.

 

[landmannnn]

It’s kinda crazy to think that the Grenadier software couldn’t simply geofence the option to adjust KM/H to MPH based on where the vehicle is physically located. It’s not like the truck doesn’t know where it is all the time for things like the ADAS speed limit bing-bong alerts. Honestly as a software guy myself, I’d think it would be simpler to have the option geofenced rather than hard coded based on regulatory market. In one case the software just takes care of itself in the other you’re dealing with code base or configuration forks for each regulatory market. We can only hope that the rise of AI makes software engineering “too cheap to meter” and these types of things go away. Who knows, maybe us posting about this here will eventually spawn an improvement once a swarm of bug fixing AI bots gets deployed with the objective of “make the grenadier’s software suck less”.

I am unaware of any car manufacturers who do this, so wouldn't want Ineos to lead the way. So no thanks.

 

[Krabby]

Are you doubting the software prowess of the IA team?!

 

[Dogwood]

Are you doubting the software prowess of the IA team?!

It's a bit of a pipe dream, but it would be amazing if Ineos decided to open source their software and allowed side loading of custom firmware to run on the infotainment system. I can't help but feel like doing so would match their DIY traditional modifiable brand ethos.

 

[Dogwood]

Question for any and all who've gone down the PPF route... in the Pacific Northwest, the forests grow at a furious rate. Logging roads that get choked with alder within a few years of being cleared as the fast growing deciduous trees grow into the road path to get more light. As a result any PNW backcountry vehicle is going to have "pin stripes" down the sides from branches as it pushes its way through. On my 26 year old Xterra, that's not an issue. But if I'm dropping a fair bit of honk on a new(ish) Grenadier, I'm considering ways I could minimize the damage to the paintwork.

It seems like paint protection film is the gold standard here. And it seems like "thicker = better" when it comes to protection. My reservation is about the cost. I was quoted around $10K CAD for a full wrap on a IG by the dealer trying to sell me bachelorette number one. That's probably on the high side, but PPF installs are a labour intensive process, and Canada isn't a cheap labour market. That sent me down the DIY university of YouTube rabbit hole and I was wondering if anybody has any experience with the BushWraps DIY kit? I see there are also full cover cut DIY kits on AliExpress. Both seem similar in price, although I'd trust the quality of the BushWraps film more than some random kit form AliX. Fortunately the PNW has very low UV and I park underground, so I can probably be tolerant of slightly lower quality film from a UV perspective. I'm more interested in anybody's experience with how hard the install is for DIY PPF on a Grenny?

 

[The_Ick]

I think the install is both easier and harder. The panels are mostly flat which really helps. But all the little pieces on the body have to come off that makes it harder. I finally just decided to skip the PPF and roll the dice. If it gets too scratched up I'll just wrap it a different color down the road.

 

[Braxo]

You could also wrap just portions of the vehicle. If you're worried about the pin striping, then you could do partial front and half doors.

I don't have the front wing checker plates on mine, but was thinking of having some PPF installed on the wings - I can see myself setting my toddlers on there as they grow into kids and such. I did have xpel windshield protection film installed for piece of mind even though I have full glass coverage on my insurance.

 

[Lexx]

PPF along the sides is probably the way to go. I wonder the cost though.