Is this the ultimate incarnation of the Ineos Grenadier? Chemicals billionaire Jim Ratcliffe wanted his off-roader to out-Land Rover the Defender, with maximum analogue technology, built in Wales. The reality - made in France - hasn’t always had a good press. Time to meet the hefty hiked-up off-roader you see here, developed by German specialists Letech. The Ineos Grenadier Trialmaster X Letech is designed not for its chunky looks, but potentially to save lives. This is one serious vehicle and it may just give Ineos the credibility boost it needs.
Idea is that this version of the Grenadier, available in both SUV and pick-up versions, will be used by emergency services in hard-to-reach areas such as mountain tops or during natural disasters. Ineos turned to Letech, who will modify the huge off-roader in-house, because of their extensive work modifying the already formidable Mercedes G-Class. It’s fair to say the Grenadier gets the full suite of ultra off-road tech thrown at it.
Take the jacked-up stance. If you’re anything like us, you won’t have spent much time thinking about axles. But they’re key to this vehicle. Letech-manufactured portal axles, with mounting points above the centre of the wheel hub, allow for vastly increased ground clearance. Combined with 18-inch Hutchinson one-piece forged alloy wheels and hefty B F Goodrich mud-terrain tyres, these axles more than double the Grenadier’s ground clearance to 450 mm, with a wading depth of 1,050 mm. Rivers, here we come.
Ineos Grenadier Trialmaster X Letech: The details
But axles are just the beginning. Letech also install their high-performance braking system as well as uprated coil springs and shock absorbers. There are new off-road running boards with jacking points and a front mounted Warn Zeon winch system with four and a half ton capacity. You’ll already have noticed the bespoke roof rack with LED marker lights and the vastly extended wheel arches to contain those wheels. There’s a rear ladder and jerry can mount, so you won’t run out of fuel once in the wilds.
As on the standard Grenadier, power comes from a BMW straight six, available either in petrol or diesel and capable, even in a vehicle of this size, weight and brick-like aerodynamics at propelling your Trialmaster X Letech at speeds of up to 100 mph. Ineos are reportedly considering more special editions of the Grenadier, to prop up what are said to be below-target sales. You’d have to say this is a good start.
Keen on this ultimate off-road edition of the Ineos Grenadier? You'll be wanting the price. Ineos say that to begin with both versions of the Grenadier Trialmaster X Letech will be sold only in continental Europe. A thousand expressions of interest are said to have been made, mostly from specialised customers such as rescue services. Ordinary Grenadiers cost between £65,000 and £70,000. Start saving for British sales because you’ll need £147,000 to get this go-anywhere off-roader on to your local mountain top. See you at base camp for cocktails.
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