Ineos want to manufacture in US

FT article this morning

Ineos Automotive is searching for sites to move production of its flagship 4x4 vehicle from France to the US, as its billionaire owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to pump cash into the struggling carmaker.

Chief executive Lynn Calder told the Financial Times the group aimed to start producing its Grenadier off-roader in America “as quickly as possible” to meet local demand.

Client Challenge

 

[pmatusov]

Aside from our blabbering being just as much nonsense as press releases...
It is not that much of a stretch to see a blend of CKD manufacturing in the U.S. and gradual move to use of the U.S. components.
The engine doesn't have to be LS or a V8 - there's a slew of straight sixes in the U.S. market. If a 3-liter diesel 6 works for a Silverado, it should be okay for a Gren.
The current Grenadier's axles fall between a Dana 44 and 60 - JK uses a 44HD, which should be similar in most dimensions and load capability.

 

[Zimm]

Solid-axle Jeep proves otherwise.

The issue being, the wrangler doesn't fit in with the other vehicles in target market or price. The solid axle the only correlation between the two.

 

[pmatusov]

The issue being, the wrangler doesn't fit in with the other vehicles in target market or price. The solid axle the only correlation between the two.

There is plenty of other examples. GM did ONE major redesign of Tahoe/Suburban in half a century; the rest was gradual reskinning and reluctant incremental drivetrain changes due to EPA pressure. Absent that, a TH400/NP203 combo would live in perpetuity. And Sub is in the same price category as a Grenadier.
BTW, a Wrangler starts off cheaply, but the top end is fully beyond Grenadier's base price.

 

[Zimm]

Aside from our blabbering being just as much nonsense as press releases...
It is not that much of a stretch to see a blend of CKD manufacturing in the U.S. and gradual move to use of the U.S. components.
The engine doesn't have to be LS or a V8 - there's a slew of straight sixes in the U.S. market. If a 3-liter diesel 6 works for a Silverado, it should be okay for a Gren.
The current Grenadier's axles fall between a Dana 44 and 60 - JK uses a 44HD, which should be similar in most dimensions and load capability.

I have yet to see any data on the Grens axles that would suggest a 44hd is equivalent (or not). The gren is 1500 more pounds, and that mass is somewhere in the body frame and drivetrain. John from AO has ripped them down apparently, so maybe hes done some side by side with the parts.

I also think maybe the engine bay was set up initially for a V formation motor. It looks to me the I6 was a cylinder and half too long and caused the Ozzy hump.

 

[Zimm]

There is plenty of other examples. GM did ONE major redesign of Tahoe/Suburban in half a century; the rest was gradual reskinning and reluctant incremental drivetrain changes due to EPA pressure. Absent that, a TH400/NP203 combo would live in perpetuity. And Sub is in the same price category as a Grenadier.
BTW, a Wrangler starts off cheaply, but the top end is fully beyond Grenadier's base price.

It's still not the same target market. People don't cross shop 4 door jeeps and tahoes now or ever. Jeep buyers have no concern for refinement at all. They want pop off body parts and fun. And yea, the fact a jeep model starts in the 30's DOES matter regardless how high you can option one. A gren is a 75k car. a 75k jeep is a 40k car with 35k in options.