Ineos Grenadier ute spied in Europe, due in Australia this year – UPDATE

UPDATE, 30 January 2023: The Ineos Grenadier ute is due in Australia by the end of this year, according to local boss of the start-up car-maker Justin Hocevar.

Australia has been identified as a 'key market' for the Grenadier ute, according to Ineos, with production due to begin for left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive models in the second half of the year.

Pricing for the Ineos Grenadier ute is yet to be revealed.

As a guide, in Australia the first batch of Ineos Grenadier two-seat wagons is priced from $84,500 plus on-road costs, but newly-placed orders will carry a sticker of $97,000, after a price rise in November 2022.

The Grenadier double-cab ute will ride on a 3222mm wheelbase – 300mm more than the Grenadier wagon – and will be available as either a cab-chassis, or with a tub.

However, it is unclear whether the Grenadier ute will receive an increase in payload compared to the wagon to match the load-carrying capability of dual-cab ute rivals in Australia.

20 January 2023: The Ineos Grenadier ute is one step closer to Australia, with images surfacing online of the dual-cab pick-up undergoing final validation testing in Europe.

In September 2021, Ineos confirmed the Grenadier ute would be coming to Australia, despite the vehicle only existing in computer-generated images at the time.

A set of images uploaded to the Ineos Grenadier Owners Australia group on social media platform Facebook overnight show the ute without any camouflage for the first time – complete with a tub and sports bar.

The social media post claims the test vehicle was photographed in Graz, Austria near the headquarters of Magna Steyr, the third-party manufacturer which also assembles the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 sports-car twins.

In 2021, British magazine Autocar showed photos of a partially-built prototype Ineos Grenadier ute with an extended 3175mm wheelbase – up 153mm compared to the wagon’s 2922mm measurement.

It is understood the Grenadier ute will continue to be offered with the BMW-sourced turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines available in the wagon, both mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with permanent four-wheel drive.

Off-road-focused equipment in the wagon includes a two-speed transfer case, up to three differential locks (centre is standard, front and rear optional), solid beam axles, Eibach coil-spring suspension and a choice of Bridgestone or BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tyres.

Ineos sells its vehicles in Australia at non-negotiable fixed prices, with the entry-level Grenadier wagon ‘Utility’ variant priced from $97,000 plus on-road costs, or more than $100,000 drive-away.

The first customer deliveries of the Ineos Grenadier to Australian customers were expected to begin this month – nearly three months after its original projections, due to a production delay in France.