Five things they did really well

[Granite Deer]

It’s easy to get bogged down in the issues that invariably surface in a new vehicle from a new manufacturer. I have my share of them with my Grenadier. But today I found myself thinking about the things that Ineos did very right with the vehicle. Everyone probably has their own set informed by their own experience. This is my top 5:

1. The exterior design. I feel like the collaboration with Magna paid off huge dividends in the look of the SUV. It’s familiar enough to show its spiritual ancestry, but different enough to be unmistakable to my eye. I describe it as, “A G-Wagon and a classic Defender snuck off for a wild weekend, and this was born the following spring.” The flat surfaces don’t just look great, but they are useful for holding things, as pictured.

2. Selecting BMW and ZF for the powertrain. The B58 has impressed me every mile to far. Though de-tuned for longevity, it feels more than sufficiently powerful. The transmission never hunts for gears, and power delivery is smooth.

3. Analog interior ergonomics. The switches bring me joy. I feel like I’m in control of the systems because of the tactile feedback. It feels vintage and purposeful to me, and is not just eye candy but a continual joy to engage with.

4. Towing capacity. Unlock most off-roaders who sacrifice payload and towing capacity for rock-crawling ability, the Grenadier is a better-balanced workhorse for me. It gladly tows my boat loaded with gear, without breaking a sweat. This wasn’t the case with its competitors that I have owned.

5. Seating. This might be controversial, but I love the seating in the Grenadier. The leather feels premium, it’s comfortable for multi-hour drives, and there is nifty exterior seating on the front bumper corners which is also handy. All-around happiness with seating.

These are the first 5 things that come to mind that I would have them do again the same way. My list could go on (luggage capacity, rain gutters, stadium seating, etc.) but those are my tops.
Anything that you especially love about them and wouldn’t want to change right away?

 

[Eric]

It’s easy to get bogged down in the issues that invariably surface in a new vehicle from a new manufacturer. I have my share of them with my Grenadier. But today I found myself thinking about the things that Ineos did very right with the vehicle. Everyone probably has their own set informed by their own experience. This is my top 5:

1. The exterior design. I feel like the collaboration with Magna paid off huge dividends in the look of the SUV. It’s familiar enough to show its spiritual ancestry, but different enough to be unmistakable to my eye. I describe it as, “A G-Wagon and a classic Defender snuck off for a wild weekend, and this was born the following spring.” The flat surfaces don’t just look great, but they are useful for holding things, as pictured.

2. Selecting BMW and ZF for the powertrain. The B58 has impressed me every mile to far. Though de-tuned for longevity, it feels more than sufficiently powerful. The transmission never hunts for gears, and power delivery is smooth.

3. Analog interior ergonomics. The switches bring me joy. I feel like I’m in control of the systems because of the tactile feedback. It feels vintage and purposeful to me, and is not just eye candy but a continual joy to engage with.

4. Towing capacity. Unlock most off-roaders who sacrifice payload and towing capacity for rock-crawling ability, the Grenadier is a better-balanced workhorse for me. It gladly tows my boat loaded with gear, without breaking a sweat. This wasn’t the case with its competitors that I have owned.

5. Seating. This might be controversial, but I love the seating in the Grenadier. The leather feels premium, it’s comfortable for multi-hour drives, and there is nifty exterior seating on the front bumper corners which is also handy. All-around happiness with seating.

These are the first 5 things that come to mind that I would have them do again the same way. My list could go on (luggage capacity, rain gutters, stadium seating, etc.) but those are my tops.
Anything that you especially love about them and wouldn’t want to change right away?

View attachment 7922081

No5 isn't controversial, my wife reckons the leather Recaro seats are the most comfortable we have had. Also agree 1to 4 as well ( except B57 in our case)

 

[Tazzieman]

Nothing irritates me; it suits my penchant for simplicity and analogicity, to coin a phrase.
I feel I got what I paid for , and very good value for money to boot.

 

[Bayford]

I agree with all of your points and would add the large protruding front bumper/fender and the recessed headlights as they genuinely provide protection that you don't get on the front corners of many new cars. Bumpers should be sacrificial not colour matched with the car body and expensive to fix when you nudge a gate open or misjudge the position of a pillar or wall.

 

[landmannnn]

Whilst not unique to the IG of course, that ZFHP8 is truly an exceptional transmission. A ground up redesign in terms of mechanical and software, compared to other auto transmissions:

- gearchanges are around 150ms, not quite up to DCT which is around 80ms, but way quicker than a normal manual
- torque converter lockup is around 5mph, compared with 40 to 50mph on conventional autos.(performance and economy gains)
- gears are preselected based on learnt driving style
- it can skip gears, ie 8th to 2nd on deceleration
- technically you could put a clutch on the front and drive it like a motorbike, just using the clutch to get moving and change gear without the clutch.

The only downsides are that it is heavy and long so won't suit all applications. Apart from these it almost makes manual and DCT transmissions redundant.

 

[Eric]

I agree with all of your points and would add the large protruding front bumper/fender and the recessed headlights as they genuinely provide protection that you don't get on the front corners of many new cars. Bumpers should be sacrificial not colour matched with the car body and expensive to fix when you nudge a gate open or misjudge the position of a pillar or wall.
View attachment 7922104

Except these sacrificial non colour coded bumpers are still expensive to fix after opening gates.

 

[abbeyroad]

• It looks nothing like a G'wagen. I park next to three of them every day. IG is better looking. It's as if people are blind or lazy or both in their visual assessment imho. It's 100% a new old Defender design and this is most definitely the best thing about this truck.
• Good bones. All the heavy metal underneath is truly overbuilt. Go take a look.
• Powertrain is proven. The B58 is a robust, closed deck design that's been around for over a decade now.
• Right size
• Easily customizable from factory. All it needs are the lockers and 17" steelies. True poverty pack. Everything else is optional.

 

[Granite Deer]

“It's as if people are blind or lazy or both in their visual assessment imho.”

To my eye, it carries a lot of similarities. The Magna team that was involved was also involved in the G-Wagon itself, I understand.

I wouldn’t accuse anyone of being blind or lazy for seeing it. Opinions differ.

 

[Granite Deer]

I agree with all of your points and would add the large protruding front bumper/fender and the recessed headlights as they genuinely provide protection that you don't get on the front corners of many new cars. Bumpers should be sacrificial not colour matched with the car body and expensive to fix when you nudge a gate open or misjudge the position of a pillar or wall.
View attachment 7922104

Very much agree. The Grenadier’s bumpers set the right standard IMIO. And they provide great exterior seating, too.

 

[abbeyroad]

“It's as if people are blind or lazy or both in their visual assessment imho.”

To my eye, it carries a lot of similarities. The Magna team that was involved was also involved in the G-Wagon itself, I understand.

I wouldn’t accuse anyone of being blind or lazy for seeing it. Opinions differ.

View attachment 7922119

lol they look completely different

 

[CRH]

You can see design influences with both G-Wagen &Defender, it's why they were both used as part of the court case against Landrover, I just don't like the look of the G-Wagen. Don't like the indicator on top of the wing, rear lower quarter plus other little design areas. I certainly don't like the pimped up AMG versions, wide wheels, low profile sports tyres.

 

[pmatusov]

I agree with all of your points and would add the large protruding front bumper/fender and the recessed headlights as they genuinely provide protection that you don't get on the front corners of many new cars. Bumpers should be sacrificial ...

The bumpers are less sacrificial in the U.S. Whatever comes in contact with them may be.