Buckle up, folks—this is a long one!
Here’s my take on exploring Australia with the Grenadier, towing all the way for 369 days.
First, a bit about my setup: I’m driving a Trialmaster included with a roof rack, bullbar, winch, rock sliders, brush bars and original all-terrain tires. I’ve also added an aftermarket awning and drawers. We’re towing a 3.2-ton hybrid camper, bringing our total load to nearly 7 tons, with two adults and one child along for the adventure.
Fuel consumption came in at 16.7L per 100 km, with a usual max speed of around 90 km/h. We burned through 7,129 liters of diesel fuel, costing a total of $14,334 over 42,086 km. That works out to an average cost of $0.34 per kilometer. We were towing about 95% of the time, and AdBlue consumption hit around 7,000 km before the 20% warning popped up.
We set off from Brisbane on December 26, 2023, heading South to Tasmania via a laid-back route through Mt Kosciuszko. From there, we made our way North to the Oodnadatta Track and explored the West MacDonnell Ranges before powering on to Darwin. We met up with friends to tackle the Gibb River Road, tracked west to Exmouth, then headed south to Perth, hugged the coastline East to Adelaide, swung by Broken Hill, passed through Winton, made our way to Townsville for a family Christmas, and finally rolled back into Brisbane area.
This route threw every kind of terrain at us: mountains, hills, off-road tracks, sand, highways, and good old regular roads.
So, how did the Grenadier perform?
As a first-generation 4x4, I’d sum it up in two words: Very good. Of course, there’s room for some minor improvements, and I did run into a few issues (which I’ll cover later).
How Is the Grenadier for Off-Road Driving?
Excellent! I had a blast driving on the beach and sandy tracks especially when de-hitched. The automatic transmission made everything easy and enjoyable. The Grenadier is certainly capable of handling any terrain, but the off-road mode and locker functionality could use some work. Currently, if I turn off the car, I have to manually turn everything back on again, which is frustrating when you’re already on a sandy track that requires the lockers to get there in the first place. Hopefully, this will be addressed in a future software update.
The only other issue I can fault would be the turning circle. If this could be changed it would certainly round out this vehicle to be the pinnacle offroader.
Towing performance was excellent, both on and off-road. I typically kept speeds around 90 km/h to save on fuel, averaging about 17L per 100 km, with higher consumption in hilly areas. For speeds between 95–100 km/h, I’d estimate an extra 2–5L per 100 km. It seems speed and weight play a significant role in fuel consumption for this vehicle.
In terms of engine power, I never felt underpowered, even with the heavy load. Straight out of the box, it’s perfectly adequate, and I’m not sure remapping is even on my radar.
The seats were comfortable, and the footrest wasn’t an issue, though it would have been nice to stretch my left leg out fully from time to time. I think the longest continuous drive was about 4 hours, and while I felt a bit stiff afterward, it wasn’t the worst ride I’ve had.
The interior was surprisingly quiet compared to my old 76 Series (but, to be fair, anything would be). Having tint on the windows was one of the best decisions I made—it definitely improved the temperature inside the vehicle and saved my arm from burning through the window. Speaking of temperature, the vehicle is well insulated, even with my Doney Grey colour, I didn’t experience the heat like I did with my old (white) car.
Now for the issues.
While in Tasmania, the front drive shaft came off at the 14K km mark in February, leaving me stranded. I had to be flat bed towed to the nearest dealer for repairs—three and a half hours and 270 km away. I ended up using Ineos roadside assistance, but since the dealer was more than 100 km away, I was out of pocket for the rest of the tow. At least it was covered under warranty and the Launceston dealer fitted me in even though they were booked out, thanks for that!
It happened just as I started driving (no prior warning), with a loud bang, and we couldn’t move. After locking the center diff, I slowly made my way off the road, sounding like a cement mixer. Two weeks later and with the use of a loan Grenadier during that time, we were back on the road. But I did lose some faith in the vehicle and started worrying this might happen again. It seems more people are experiencing drive shaft/CV issues now, especially those with lift kits. This maybe it's biggest weakness/flaw it has.
Near Darwin, a road train flicked up a rock and chipped our windscreen. Thankfully, it wasn’t in a troubling spot, so I left it as is, but it will need replacing eventually. It seems chipped windscreens are common, likely due to the angle of the windscreen and with high cost of replacing them definitely get your insurance sorted.
We tackled quite a bit of corrugation, and during that time, one bolt rattled loose inside (easy fix), and one heat shield underneath the vehicle took a bit of a beating. The steering dampener developed the infamous "cowbell" issue and needed replacing, which was done under warranty at a random mechanic in Broome. Ineos was happy to cover this, as there were no dealers nearby. Unfortunately, the cowbell noise returned again after about 500 km of corrugation driving and was fixed again, this time in Perth. The dust cover on the steering dampener just can’t handle those conditions, so I’ll definitely be replacing it once it’s out of warranty—maybe sooner BUT there is a major caveat to this that I'll cover later. For the record, the steering dampener still works, it just gets a new feature, mooooo.
The vehicle had trouble starting once, and I’m not sure why, but it fixed itself after about ten minutes. Other than that, it’s been running smoothly.
The tyre pressure sensors play up from time to time but always comes good after a while, they do need a larger range before they warn you, as I run a higher pressure in the rear for towing. This is something Ineos knows about but is a low priority at the moment.
The windscreen wiper water on the driver’s side got blocked, and I had to undo a bunch of bolts to access the water pipe. It turned out to be a bigger job than I expected, but it was easy enough to fix it just took time.
I used the rear NATO power socket to charge my camper, thinking it was a great idea at the time to use the factory wiring and switches. However, it became a bit of an annoyance when I discovered it shuts off at 84 km/h later in the trip. I found a workaround by wiring it up differently, but I imagine it could be a simple software fix.
The Grenadier’s 90L fuel tank gave me constant range anxiety, especially when towing. I felt like I was stopping to fill up all the time. While I did carry two 15L Jerry cans as backup, I rarely used them. Instead, I relied on the PetrolSpy app to find nearby fuel stations with better prices (overall we saved a few hundred in total). On average, I could manage about 500 km per tank while towing—reasonable, but far from ideal for some remote adventures.
One major annoyance was the standard fuel nozzle, which can't fit high-flow pump. Unless you’re carrying a funnel, this can make refueling more tedious than it needs to be and some pumps only have high-flow.
A potential upgrade? The 68L Brown Davis auxiliary tank. I’ve test-driven a Grenadier equipped with it (thanks, Finn!) and found removing the muffler to accommodate the tank doesn’t seem to increase cabin noise, so that’s a plus. However, the added weight might be a concern for some, especially when towing heavy loads.
From what I understand, the 90L tank’s capacity was designed that way to meet crash test regulations. Probably also to reduce weight. So for long-distance travelers, it’s a limitation worth considering or the Quartermaster can do a total of 285L with an aftermarket tank.
Around the 32k mark, I got the check engine light, and I had to make my way to the nearest dealer to have the issue looked at, which happened to be 700 km away at the time. The error codes (P248F) showed up when I scanned it with a random scan tool someone let me borrow (big thanks for that). We also used a full tank of AdBlue (17L) over a 1,000 km period, which was related to the check engine light, though I didn’t know that at the time. At this point, I was getting pretty frustrated with the car and questioning if this purchase was a mistake. Later, I found out that the AdBlue issue was due to the EGR module arm breaking (one of the recall items), leaving it in the open position and continuously pumping.
I had two services done while on the road, costing around $900 at 22k km and $950 at 33k km, which seemed normal with no major surprises. Throughout the journey, there were several recalls, and I got them fixed at various dealers across Australia. Some of these might have been brushed off by other car companies, but Ineos really went the extra mile, and I’ve got to give them credit for that. There are other brands that would have said, "That’s not covered under warranty," but Ineos handled it, and I appreciate that. So well Ineos done keep up the good work!
While in Perth, I had some minor fixes done under warranty, such as replacing the plastic cover at the bottom of the doors (the double-sided tape didn’t hold up), a door seal trim, and addressing some internal rattling behind the center console buttons. I was tempted to fix this myself, but the entire console needed to be removed, which seemed like a big job, and with no manuals available, I decided to wait. Fortunately, I had time in Perth, so I got it sorted, and it's been perfect since.
I also updated to the latest software (at the time, SW0000000689002940) only to be thoroughly disappointed. I had been under the impression that future updates would bring wireless Android Auto, larger maps, and a larger reverse camera picture. However, I later learned these features won’t be available to early adopters (2023) and instead apply to newer builds with updated hardware. This felt like a kick in the teeth for those of us who took a chance on a company that seemed different (in a good way). While Ineos does listen to its customers, which sets it apart from other manufacturers, it was disappointing to find out these upgrades weren't coming to us. I know this is a controversial subject, but that’s how I feel.
I have heard rumours that ineos may replace the hardware for 2023 models, we'll see what happens.
Not long after my second service (still in Perth), I got another check engine light (error code P008F at 37k). Fortunately, the light went away after two days before I could get to a dealer. It was likely related to low radiator fluid, which was topped up at the dealership (something I assumed would have been done during the previous service).
Full of confidence I wanted to put my vehicle through its paces at Bornholm Beach in WA (with one of the toughest exits around). I got stuck in the soft sand and my winch failed to work when I needed it most! A long and loud expletive followed, but I was helped out by some amazing people. The next day, I managed to get it working again by rapidly toggling the 500-amp switch on and off a few times while pressing the ‘in’ or ‘out’ button on the remote—turns out, the old "turn it off and on again" trick worked. Still not certain what caused the failure in the first place.
Around the 40k mark, my toot button stopped working (probably due to rain), but it magically came back to life at 41k about 15 days later.
Around the 45k mark, we noticed the brakes were getting a little too squeaky for comfort—especially with the long outback journey ahead. Concerned they might be reaching the end of their life cycle, we decided to get them checked in Adelaide. Fortunately, it turned out they just needed a quick shave and were good to go, off to Townsville.
One pad did have a minor crack, which will eventually need replacing, but nothing critical. The dealer, American Motors, had just opened and wasn’t fully set up with parts yet. Still, they were happy to inspect the car and offer peace of mind. Big shout-out to them for their help—it made a huge difference knowing the brakes were fine for the road ahead (if you are reading this we are very appreciative thanks).
For anyone wondering, the Grenadier brake pads come with sensors that trigger a warning when they need replacing.
Lastly I will need to get the aircon checked as we are starting to get some water in the passenger side foot well, but this is a known issue and a warranty fix.
The drive home. After Christmas I was keen to get underway for home after a year away and especially after a little last minute modification we did in Townsville, I wanted to see how the Grenadier would handle while towing (more on that below).
My Two Cents on Modifications:
With all the accessories and towball weight, I really needed a GVM upgrade. This didn't exist when I started my adventure but the wait did end up helping me out. As I found a company in Townsville (& Sydney) called JRACE (thanks Trevor!) who is offering a mod plated 4T GVM using airbags inside the standard coils. Although this was added towards the end of my trip. The results were; while unhitched there was no difference in driving other than slightly lifted rear. While hitched the vehicles handling was better (ever so slightly) but the rear height and GVM are definitely the main advantages.
I definitely needed more clearance particularly on deep ruts and soft sand as I would bottom out, mainly when towing, so lift kit and bigger tyres are a must for me. Ideally this needs to wait until Airbag man releases a spacer for the larger coils.
Snorkel: The vehicle should have come with a snorkel, not just a raised air intake. But it looks like GrenX is producing one that mimics the factory look and this appeals to me the most, out of all the options currently on the market.
Second Fuel Tank: A second fuel tank should have been an option from the factory (but where do you stop) or at the very least be able to handle a high-flow nozzle!
Steering Dampener: This is not a simple subject! There is a lot of misinformation out there and I'm not an expert and you should do your own research. But until there is a true return to centre steering dampener (that pushes in both directions) this will need to wait as this is just a Band-Aid fix anyway. From my understanding, the true issue is the 0 deg caster angle. This needs to be increased but in doing so will potentially break the factory front drive shaft CV. The only fix for this is a replacement drive shaft, different companies are working on this so for now we need to wait.
Rear Vision Camera: The factory rear camera should be centered to the vehicle, as it would make hitching much easier. I’d also love to find or create a bracket to move it without cutting into the door but we'll see what happens. Plus I'm going to add the wolfbox mirror as there is very limited viewing thanks to the rear doors and spare tyre.
Software Updates: Updates need to come quicker, and I hope off-road mode stays on after the vehicle is turned off.
Indicators: As a right-hand drive vehicle, I wish the indicators were on the right-hand side of the steering column—personal pet peeve!
Rear Seat Electric Shroud: The plastic covering under the rear seat needs rethinking for easier access, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means, I'm just being picky now.
To Wrap It Up:
This review may seem overly critical, but these were my experiences over the year of travels. That said, I really like this vehicle and would recommend it to anyone. Everything else about this vehicle is awesome, once the recall items had been fixed we didn't really have any problems with the vehicle. I love the fact that Ineos has gone above and beyond and over engineered to create a solid vehicle without reinventing the wheel. They sourced components from companies with proven products, and it shows (bar a few parts). This is a multi million-dollar project car, and it feels like it.
I’m confident that future versions will be even better, as long as Ineos continues to evolve the vehicle and fix any issues that arise unlike other companies (looking at you Toyota cough, handbrake). Also other manufacturers would do well to take note of how Ineos handles warranties and repairs.
Not being close to a dealer might impact some especially early on, but hopefully the release of the manuals will solve most of these problems. Most of my issues were fixed by recalls so in theory should be good to go for later models.
In summary, I believe these vehicles will one day be the go-to for off-roading enthusiasts. Is that time now? Maybe not yet, but it’s damn close.
Told you it was a long one!
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) thanks again for your review.
www.euroflo.com.au
