"Hold my beer." Three words that, at a party that's gotten a little out of hand, almost always announce an idea whose intelligence is worth less than the round. I wouldn't swear that Sir Jim Ratcliffe ever said them, but the slightly crazy project he launched one day, doomed to fail according to plenty of people, ended up hitting the road for real. Its name: the Ineos Grenadier.
A devoted off-road enthusiast, Ratcliffe wanted to buy the rights to the Land Rover Defender when it was put out to pasture. Land Rover politely declined. No matter: in a London pub called the Grenadier, as you may have guessed, he sketched out the truck of his dreams. The 3.0-litre six-cylinder comes from BMW, Magna Steyr takes part in the manufacturing, and assembly happens in Hambach, France, a stone's throw from the little smart.
A real truck
With a starting price of around $100,000 and only one dealer in Quebec, the Grenadier cultivates exclusivity. But it's the personality that makes it unique. It stretches 4.9 metres long and stands more than 2 metres tall, and you'll appreciate the side steps, however tiny. The ladder frame and steel body, no aluminum here, push the scale past 2,700 kilograms. The doors, perfectly sealed thanks to their double gaskets, take a solid arm to close. I learned that the hard way during my test.
Where it feels at home
Forget luxury: the materials are washable and the console looks like something out of a tank. But the moment the pavement disappears, everything makes sense. A 4x4 system, a two-speed transfer case, locking differentials and exceptional approach angles: the Grenadier swallows trails that would make most SUVs back down. The recirculating-ball steering takes a little getting used to, but it gives real confidence when the wheels are feeling their way through ruts. When I put all four wheels in the mud, I smiled the whole time.
Tires up to the task: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
A vehicle like this can't settle for ordinary tires. The Grenadier rides on BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s, a benchmark in the category, and it shows. Their reinforced sidewalls shrug off rocks and roots, their big shoulder blocks bite into mud, sand and gravel, and they keep enough road manners for the drive to the trailhead. They also carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, an asset in our winters. For anyone who wants to tap the Grenadier's full potential, it's a logical choice, and this kind of tire is easy to find at BlackCircles.ca.
Will it be reliable? Probably, but nothing guarantees it. Economical? Not really, with an average of 16.4 L/100 km during my test. It didn't even turn as many heads as I expected. On the other hand, I had a ridiculous amount of fun. I was ready to attack any trail and I'm certain I'd have made it. But no, I didn't tell anyone: hold my beer…
