Ineos Automotive has started production of its latest model, the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster pickup truck.
The first series production models have now rolled off the line at the factory in Hambach, France, with deliveries in Europe set to start in December 2023.
The Quartermaster’s launch takes the number of body shapes in the Grenadier range to two and the versions to three, joining the passenger car SUV and the commercial vehicle version, which were both launched in 2022.
Ineos chose a slightly unusual location for the launch of the Quartermaster, as it pulled the covers off at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, sending the truck up the famous hill climb shortly afterwards.
The Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster is based on an extended wheelbase of the longest Grenadier – its chassis is 305mm longer taking the overall wheelbase to 3,227mm.
This is to accommodate the loading bay out the back of the truck, although it is still wider than it is long, measuring 1,564mm by 1,619mm. This is still plenty large enough to take a Euro pallet.
One number is conspicuously low, though – the payload is just 760kg for the diesel and 835kg for the petrol, both of which are well below the 1,000kg mark that a pickup needs to hit to qualify for the more beneficial van tax brackets that are notably lower than the passenger car equivalents.
More importantly, it means it is not possible for business buyers, be they companies or sole traders, to reclaim the VAT off the purchase, making it significantly more expensive than other pickups.
How much will the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster cost?
As with the Station Wagon version of the Grenadier, there are three different trims of Quartermaster to choose from. The standard version is joined by the Trialmaster Edition and the Fieldmaster Edition.
The Quartermaster starts at £66,215 while both the Trialmaster and Fieldmaster cost from £73,715. The Trialmaster is more geared towards off-roading, as it is fitted with the Rough Pack that brings a locking differential and all-terrain tyres as standard. The Fieldmaster has a touch more luxury, with leather seats, carpets and a premium sound system offered over and above the Trialmaster.
There are two different engines in the Quartermaster. These are the same engines that are available in the Station Wagon and are both 3.0-litre BMW straight-six units, one a petrol and one a diesel. There is no price difference between the two.
There will also be a range of accessories and extra features that you can add onto your Quartermaster. There are a couple of ways of covering the rear loading bay, such as a frame with a waterproof canvas canopy or a lockable roller tonneau cover. You can also get a roof rack and a selection of mounts to carry tools or kit such as jerry cans, ladders and shovels.
Because of the N1 classification, buyers will only have to pay the commercial vehicle VED tax rate, which is cheaper than the passenger car rate. However, it will not be eligible for the commercial vehicle BIK rate, instead anyone buying one through a company will have to pay much higher car rates. Add in the lack of VAT reclamation and it looks expensive, even next to the other pickup in a similar situation, the Ford Ranger Raptor.
The pickup is believed to have been brought forward in the plan due to the level of interest from markets such as Australia. A chassis-cab version is also in the plans, allowing for converters to put bespoke bodies on the back. This will join the range in 2024 and will be a double-cab front – essentially the Quartermaster with the loading bay removed so that buyers can add what they need on the back.
Alternative fuel on show
There was a second new version of the Grenadier on show at Goodwood too – a Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FCEV) Technology Demonstrator. As the name implies, this is a testing vehicle for an alternative-fuel Grenadier. This is something that Ineos has previously hinted at, and this was the first time that it has shown a working example.
As with the standard Grenadier, the powertrain is made by BMW but the vehicle has been developed in conjunction with AVL, an Austrian consultancy company.
Fitting the powertrain into the Grenadier required modification of the ladder frame and the rear axle in order to accommodate the drive units. There are few visual differences on the outside, apart from a bonnet bulge that is required to fit the extra height of the fuel cell. Ineos says this would not be present on a production vehicle, though.
Ineos has previously said that it is also planning a pure electric vehicle, although this will be a separate model to the Grenadier. Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe confirmed that the electric version will be smaller than the Grenadier, and is therefore likely to be based on a shorter platform. The aim is to maintain the Grenadier’s off-road abilities and working approach. It will be built alongside the Grenadier in the Hambach factory – not in the UK as first hoped.
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