Ineos Automotive – the company that builds the Grenadier off-roader – has an ambitious plan to launch no fewer than three new utilities by the end of the decade. Those three vehicles will be positioned very differently and will cover a wide scope of potential customers. According to a new report, the first to arrive from the trio will be a small electric off-roader.
Autocar reports Ineos will push with the development of the EV SUV in an attempt to beat Land Rover with the launch of the expected electric Defender. The work on this new vehicle is believed to be well underway with the British publication reporting that the styling is nearly done and the company is putting the finishing touches on the platform. In terms of dimensions, the new model – previously believed to be called the Grenadier Sport – will be very similar in size to the Defender 90, which is around 4.3 meters long.
Gallery: Ineos Grenadier
Speaking of the architecture, the EV will reportedly sit on new underpinnings developed specifically for electric powertrains. According to Autocar, the company is targeting a range of about 250 miles (400 kilometers) at a single charge of the batteries. Magna Steyr is believed to be heavily involved in the development of the project. “It will be smaller than Grenadier and have its own character, but it will still look like a younger brother – the family resemblance will be there,” Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe comments.
Another battery-powered product is also reportedly in the works from Ineos. It will sit on the same platform and will also offer decent off-road capability but will have a more urban styling and positioning. The crossover will be similarly sized to the electric off-roader but will have better on-road behavior than its off-road-focused sibling.
Last but not least, Ineos is also plotting a larger luxury model. It won’t be a brand-new development but will instead take the form of a heavily upgraded and luxed-up version of the Grenadier. It is also expected to lose some of the Grenadier’s off-road prowess as a trade-off for more luxury features and better comfort. All three new models are expected to be launched by 2030.
