Six years ago Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saw a gap in the market for a successor to the Land Rover Defender, said The Daily Telegraph. He sketched his criteria on a beer mat in the Grenadier pub: design, durability, reliability and off-road capability. And this rugged 4x4 is an impressive debut, a “charismatic vehicle with a great heart and single-minded purpose”. But it does have a lot of glitches.
The Grenadier is “no-frills, no-fuss”, with a ladder-frame chassis, solid beam axles and coil-spring suspension, said Auto Express. The ride isn’t too bouncy, and the combination of the BMW 3-litre, six-cylinder engine (diesel or petrol) and ZF gearbox is “sublime”. Prices start at £55,000 for the two-seater, £58,000 for a five-seat station wagon. The Trialmaster and more luxurious Fieldmaster editions start at £69,000.
“Amazing off-road”, the Grenadier is also decent on the road, said Top Gear Magazine. “Unrepentantly boxy” to maximise space inside, it’s “impressively refined” and the beefy Brembo brakes work well. There are some odd quirks, such as short wipers, which create a blind spot. Inside it’s simple, with big chunky buttons (usable with gloves). “It does exactly what it sets out to do: go places most cars can’t without falling apart.”
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