INEOS AUTOMOTIVE LAUNCHES GRENADIER QUARTERMASTER CHASSIS CAB

[Stu_Barnes]

INEOS AUTOMOTIVE LAUNCHES GRENADIER QUARTERMASTER CHASSIS CAB

Five-seat double cab chassis variant uses the same extended frame as the Grenadier Quartermaster pick-up and is targeted at specialist conversion companies and commercial body builders.
Exposed ladder frame rear of the cabin provides a wide range of body-building options for commercial, emergency and leisure use.
George Ratcliffe, Commercial Director, INEOS Automotive, comments, “In the first year since the Grenadier launched we have already seen a number of specialist conversions, particularly with emergency services such as fire, police and inshore rescue, so launching the Quartermaster Chassis Cab is a natural step to take our off-road expertise into many commercial areas that need a class leading 4X4.”

London, 13th March 2024 – INEOS Automotive has launched a five-seat double cab Chassis variant of the Grenadier Quartermaster pick-up, aimed at specialist vehicle converters and commercial body builders worldwide.

Developed in tandem with the Quartermaster pick-up, the Chassis Cab is engineered to deliver a class-leading combination of off-road capability and load-carrying versatility, with the comfort, safety, refinement and features that today’s drivers expect.

George Ratcliffe, Commercial Director, INEOS Automotive, comments, “In the first year since the Grenadier launched we have already seen a number of specialist conversions, particularly with emergency services such as fire, police and inshore rescue, so launching the Quartermaster Chassis Cab is a natural step that takes our off-road expertise into many commercial areas that need a class leading 4X4.”

Sharing the Quartermaster’s 3,227mm wheelbase – 305mm longer than the Grenadier Station Wagon – the Chassis Cab features an exposed ladder frame behind the passenger cabin, giving customers and aftermarket vehicle converters a wide range of body-building options that are enhanced by the 3,500kg towing capability.

The Grenadier Quartermaster Chassis Cab will be built in Hambach, France, at the manufacturing facility INEOS Automotive acquired from Mercedes-Benz in January 2021. Built on the same production line as the other Grenadier models, the Chassis Cab shares its five-seat double cab, full box-section ladder frame chassis, heavy-duty solid beam axles, two-speed transfer case, and up to three locking differentials with the Quartermaster. Power comes from a choice of BMW 3.0-litre turbo-charged inline six-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF.

“The Grenadier’s body-on-frame construction already provides huge versatility for customisation, and we know from customer configurations that our vehicles are being used equally between commercial and leisure users. The ‘blank canvas’ Chassis Cab variant allows even greater versatility, from the basic trayback for agricultural use through recovery and emergency services to tourism, presenting an ideal platform for an overlanding camper.” adds Ratcliffe.

Prices in the UK will begin at £53,180 RRP ex VAT. To find out more about Grenadier prices, technical specifications and options, visit www.ineosgrenadier.com.

 

[NQ94]

Cab Chassis Quartermaster should do well in Australia

 

[Trialmaster]

The bottom picture looks rather odd! It doesn't look in line with the cab.

 

[lagartoboy]

Cab Chassis Quartermaster should do well in Australia
View attachment 7847977View attachment 7847978

With a camper that pops up, sleeping on the roof and standing room in the bed, this could be the perfect overlander.

 

[anand]

The real questions... Will this come to the US, and does it bypass the chicken tax since it isn't a pick up?

 

[Krabby]

The real questions... Will this come to the US, and does it bypass the chicken tax since it isn't a pick up?

Gut feeling - no, it won't come here.

 

[Stu_Barnes]

The real questions... Will this come to the US, and does it bypass the chicken tax since it isn't a pick up?

Does it qualify to bypass the chicken tax if it’s imported here and IA install an American manufactured bed to it?

 

[Krabby]

Does it qualify to bypass the chicken tax if it’s imported here and IA install an American manufactured bed to it?

If this was indeed the case, you would have to think they would have done so with the regular QM to keep the cost down.

 

[MTNDOG]

Fixed, no chicken tax.

 

[FlyersFan76]

View attachment 7847993
Fixed, no chicken tax.

100%

I was thinking that Magna could assist with getting the quartermaster into the states. I had heard they were going to be assisting Ineos with that since they are in Canada.

 

[Krabby]

View attachment 7847993
Fixed, no chicken tax.

We actually talked about the chicken tax and the Subaru BRAT in an episode of GRENADIER WORKS PODCAST - maybe Ep. 3

 

[dreamalaska]

Well as many of you in the USA and Canada received, Ineos announced in an email 03 APRIL 2024 titled “Quartermaster is coming”. So I guess regardless of the additional 25% US import tariff on pickup trucks (aka the “chicken” tax) it’s coming to North America. Here’s a screenshot of my email:

 

[anand]

Well as many of you in the USA and Canada received, Ineos announced in an email 03 APRIL 2024 titled “Quartermaster is coming”. So I guess regardless of the additional 25% US import tariff on pickup trucks (aka the “chicken” tax) it’s coming to North America. Here’s a screenshot of my email:

Interesting, no email here, you must be one of the lucky ones

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

Got that e-mail too!

The Chassis Cab version would actually be great and it will be interesting to see how it performs.

Two hesitations - first is the general cost of a tray here in Canada/USA. There are few manufacturers, and I often see payload-friendly aluminum trays for north of $10k USD. Canopy is extra. If the QM comes in close to the standard Trialmaster, or even close to the stock Grenadier, that's between $92k and $101k CDN before taxes, PLUS an additional $20k for a tray and canopy setup. $120k buys a VERY nice truck from GM, Ford, or Chrysler in the HD range which will outstrip the QM on every specification except maneuverability, which in our market isn't actually that critical (most of our roads and many trails have full-size trucks on them regularly), so this can create a really tight market. It's not quite clear to me if there is an obvious advantage of the QM over other durable commercially-oriented trucks in the way that the Gren has leaps-and-bounds advantages over other wagons, which is a much more lightweight/lifestyle-oriented market.

The second hesitation I have is 100% my own application and geography and the Overland use case - I think trays and canopies are great, and the buildout of a small truck makes for one of the best compromises between "camping comfort" and "off road maneuverability" - which is why I currently use a truck like this - but my next vehicle will 100% be a wagon. In the Northwest on the coasts, mold is a real issue, and a sealed truck bed will almost never be as good as a wagon UNLESS you spend the big bucks on a really nice canopy (and even then, condensation can be an issue). I think the form factor is the best east of the mountains, but on the "Wet" Coast, being able to dry stuff out from time to time is critical and that's harder with a truck bed.

These two things make me wonder about the success of the QM platform in North America as I don't see the niche as strongly as the Gren, but I'm certain Ineos has done their market research so it's more a question of "how many do they think they can sell?" curiosity, rather than a "I don't think they'll sell enough" opinion - they will, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it - I'm just curious about how many given the concerns I've identified above.

 

[FlyersFan76]

I got the email on one of my email addresses but not the other one that I used to reserve, build and order my truck with. Odd as up until now I was receiving the same emails from Ineos at both email addresses the same day.

 

[dreamalaska]

Yea I’m scratching my head trying to determine who the end user of a Quartermaster at the price point it’ll probably sticker at in North America would be. You can buy a 4WD Ford 450/550 or a Dodge Cummins 4500/5500 chassis cab for US$75k before upfitting a frame mounted bed.

 

[[ Adam ]]

Yea I’m scratching my head trying to determine who the end user of a Quartermaster at the price point it’ll probably sticker at in North America would be. You can buy a 4WD Ford 450/550 or a Dodge Cummins 4500/5500 chassis cab for US$75k before upfitting a frame mounted bed.

IMO unless they've found a way around the chicken tax, they shouldn't even bother.

 

[DaveB]

Got that e-mail too!

The Chassis Cab version would actually be great and it will be interesting to see how it performs.

Two hesitations - first is the general cost of a tray here in Canada/USA. There are few manufacturers, and I often see payload-friendly aluminum trays for north of $10k USD. Canopy is extra. If the QM comes in close to the standard Trialmaster, or even close to the stock Grenadier, that's between $92k and $101k CDN before taxes, PLUS an additional $20k for a tray and canopy setup. $120k buys a VERY nice truck from GM, Ford, or Chrysler in the HD range which will outstrip the QM on every specification except maneuverability, which in our market isn't actually that critical (most of our roads and many trails have full-size trucks on them regularly), so this can create a really tight market. It's not quite clear to me if there is an obvious advantage of the QM over other durable commercially-oriented trucks in the way that the Gren has leaps-and-bounds advantages over other wagons, which is a much more lightweight/lifestyle-oriented market.

The second hesitation I have is 100% my own application and geography and the Overland use case - I think trays and canopies are great, and the buildout of a small truck makes for one of the best compromises between "camping comfort" and "off road maneuverability" - which is why I currently use a truck like this - but my next vehicle will 100% be a wagon. In the Northwest on the coasts, mold is a real issue, and a sealed truck bed will almost never be as good as a wagon UNLESS you spend the big bucks on a really nice canopy (and even then, condensation can be an issue). I think the form factor is the best east of the mountains, but on the "Wet" Coast, being able to dry stuff out from time to time is critical and that's harder with a truck bed.

These two things make me wonder about the success of the QM platform in North America as I don't see the niche as strongly as the Gren, but I'm certain Ineos has done their market research so it's more a question of "how many do they think they can sell?" curiosity, rather than a "I don't think they'll sell enough" opinion - they will, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it - I'm just curious about how many given the concerns I've identified above.

That is pretty much the exact opposite to Australia.
Dual cab utes with, tubs, trays and canopies are everywhere
Lots of SUV wagons as well but I don't think many people seriously cross shop the Grenadier station wagon with an SUV wagon.
This is an SUV that would compete against the Grenadier wagon and they would be about the same price with similar build outs

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT81X-R409M


In reality it will compete more against the Landcruiser 70 series wagon that hardly sells and needs a butt load of work to bring it up to the Grenadier.

The cab chassis version will be very competitive but has lots of competition and is very much at the top end of the budget.
I don't think many will seriously be comparing the standard dual cab utes with the Quartermaster.
Once again though it's main competition will be the Toyota 79 series and you seriously need to spend some money on them before use.

2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series review: Australian first drive

Toyota sets out to prove there is a replacement for displacement, with the four-cylinder 70 Series.

www.drive.com.au

American style pickups are showing up around Australia but they have to be converted to right hand drive which makes them extremely expensive.
They are more used for towing vans and boats and not for taking offroad.
They are just too big for most trails, roads and carparks.
Also don't have a great reputation for quality and reliability in Australia.

I am sure Ineos will offer significant fleet discounts on the Quartermaster cab chassi to attract mines and tradies.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

That is pretty much the exact opposite to Australia.
Dual cab utes with, tubs, trays and canopies are everywhere
Lots of SUV wagons as well but I don't think many people seriously cross shop the Grenadier station wagon with an SUV wagon.
This is an SUV that would compete against the Grenadier wagon and they would be about the same price with similar build outs

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT81X-R409M


In reality it will compete more against the Landcruiser 70 series wagon that hardly sells and needs a butt load of work to bring it up to the Grenadier.

The cab chassis version will be very competitive but has lots of competition and is very much at the top end of the budget.
I don't think many will seriously be comparing the standard dual cab utes with the Quartermaster.
Once again though it's main competition will be the Toyota 79 series and you seriously need to spend some money on them before use.

2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series review: Australian first drive

Toyota sets out to prove there is a replacement for displacement, with the four-cylinder 70 Series.

www.drive.com.au

American style pickups are showing up around Australia but they have to be converted to right hand drive which makes them extremely expensive.
They are more used for towing vans and boats and not for taking offroad.
They are just too big for most trails, roads and carparks.
Also don't have a great reputation for quality and reliability in Australia.

I am sure Ineos will offer significant fleet discounts on the Quartermaster cab chassi to attract mines and tradies.

It's funny you mention how big this will be in Australia because it was Australian tourers that first convinced me of the benefit of the tray/canopy or even stock tub in a "ute" as an ideal Overlanding platform. You folks have perfected touring rigs and loadouts a long time ago, and are the source of inspiration for a LOT of North American Overland vehicle builds. I agree with you that it will likely be popular in Australia. And, for 95% of North America's geography its great too - most folks don't spend ALL their time in the Pacific Northwest, and get to dry out from time to time But yes the Gren runs circles around the 70 series and there's nothing even close to it in the SUV world, and it's built totally differently from the typical solid rear axle/IFS dual cab that Toyota/Ford/Chevy/Isuzu have put out over the years. It's the same kind of platform in terms of what it does, but way stronger and more stout, which your outback needs. I learned the other day about ranch sizes -- the King Ranch in Texas is mindboggling huge and is the largest ranch in the North American continent. Apparently it wouldn't even crack the top 10 list of big ranches in terms of acreage in Australia. The same source said you have individual ranches that are bigger than some US states, and so there's a real business need for a robust, reliable, 4x4, so the QM should prove popular.

I've heard American pickups are gaining popularity over there but the reaction to them hasn't been positive in the public - "Yank Tanks" was the phrase I heard used - especially in areas where things are built up a bit as they tend to outsize the carparks (that's from what I've seen online, not in person). The QM has no such issue and should be a really good ute for that market.

In Canada, we've been using "Full Size" trucks - 1500 series and the HD variants - in most of our industry for decades now, so all of the remote infrastructure tends to be built with those in mind - it's something I've noticed actually. Outside of North America, remote roads tend to be rough and crappy, and the solution is "get a better vehicle and drive it well". In North America, when a road is remote and crappy, the solution seems to be "Build a better road so folks don't need to know how to drive off road". The quality of remote roads - even really "dicey" ones like the Dalton up north - are quite good compared with some main routes in the rest of the world. And since these industry roads tend to be of a reasonably good quality and built for the size of our larger trucks, there isn't the same advantage of going more compact that there would be outside of North America, where the QM shines. There are definitely tight tracks still, but the majority of major sites and routes can be reached in a full size truck no problem, so that's where I think the QM loses some of it's appeal. I'm still a huge advocate for "smaller is better" but not as many folks value that the way I do, and that may result in them losing some of the mass appeal over here to the full size trucks (but it's not a mass appeal vehicle, so that should be fine).

And while I'm drooling at the idea of taking on the Glasshouse mountains or doing a Simpson crossing or the Canning Stock route, folks from Australia drool over the Rocky Mountains, Moab, and the Pacific Northwest - we always want that which is hard to have, eh?

 

[DaveB]

It's funny you mention how big this will be in Australia because it was Australian tourers that first convinced me of the benefit of the tray/canopy or even stock tub in a "ute" as an ideal Overlanding platform. You folks have perfected touring rigs and loadouts a long time ago, and are the source of inspiration for a LOT of North American Overland vehicle builds. I agree with you that it will likely be popular in Australia. And, for 95% of North America's geography its great too - most folks don't spend ALL their time in the Pacific Northwest, and get to dry out from time to time But yes the Gren runs circles around the 70 series and there's nothing even close to it in the SUV world, and it's built totally differently from the typical solid rear axle/IFS dual cab that Toyota/Ford/Chevy/Isuzu have put out over the years. It's the same kind of platform in terms of what it does, but way stronger and more stout, which your outback needs. I learned the other day about ranch sizes -- the King Ranch in Texas is mindboggling huge and is the largest ranch in the North American continent. Apparently it wouldn't even crack the top 10 list of big ranches in terms of acreage in Australia. The same source said you have individual ranches that are bigger than some US states, and so there's a real business need for a robust, reliable, 4x4, so the QM should prove popular.

I've heard American pickups are gaining popularity over there but the reaction to them hasn't been positive in the public - "Yank Tanks" was the phrase I heard used - especially in areas where things are built up a bit as they tend to outsize the carparks (that's from what I've seen online, not in person). The QM has no such issue and should be a really good ute for that market.

In Canada, we've been using "Full Size" trucks - 1500 series and the HD variants - in most of our industry for decades now, so all of the remote infrastructure tends to be built with those in mind - it's something I've noticed actually. Outside of North America, remote roads tend to be rough and crappy, and the solution is "get a better vehicle and drive it well". In North America, when a road is remote and crappy, the solution seems to be "Build a better road so folks don't need to know how to drive off road". The quality of remote roads - even really "dicey" ones like the Dalton up north - are quite good compared with some main routes in the rest of the world. And since these industry roads tend to be of a reasonably good quality and built for the size of our larger trucks, there isn't the same advantage of going more compact that there would be outside of North America, where the QM shines. There are definitely tight tracks still, but the majority of major sites and routes can be reached in a full size truck no problem, so that's where I think the QM loses some of it's appeal. I'm still a huge advocate for "smaller is better" but not as many folks value that the way I do, and that may result in them losing some of the mass appeal over here to the full size trucks (but it's not a mass appeal vehicle, so that should be fine).

And while I'm drooling at the idea of taking on the Glasshouse mountains or doing a Simpson crossing or the Canning Stock route, folks from Australia drool over the Rocky Mountains, Moab, and the Pacific Northwest - we always want that which is hard to have, eh?

Take a look at these guys
They like to throw money at dual cab utes.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfgIKi5f18&list=PLz_NTdXkKz18tic1JStAzxw_8KRDMzvuG&index=2