Orders for a brand new, hot off the production-line, INEOS Grenadier opened last month, and we can exclusively report that the shooting community has been enthusiastically placing orders and paying their deposits for one or more of these rugged off-roaders. Based on our conversations with INEOS Automotive, we understand that the shooting community has been one of the largest early adopters of the new off-roader.
Anecdotally, we at GunsOnPegs have received correspondence from users, readers and podcast listeners, telling us that they have parted with their hard-earned to ensure that they are among the first to get one of the Grenadiers muddy. Guns, shoots and estate owners alike are lining up to buy theirs, suggesting that the Grenadier will be a common sight on the shooting field and country lanes next season.
And it isn’t only the UK shooting world that has taken the Grenadier to heart - we have heard from game shots and estates from Toledo to Texas letting us know that they’ve placed their orders. One continental shooting estate tells us that they are looking into replacing all of their current estate vehicles with Grenadiers.
Buying a new 4x4 is a serious investment for anyone, whether as a family car, a hard-working estate vehicle or comfortable shoot transport, and some might see buying a vehicle from a company with no track record of building them as something of a risk. What’s more, the shooting community, for better or worse, isn’t necessarily one that has a reputation for embracing the new! So what is it about the Grenadier that has convinced these early adopters that it's the right machine for them? As ever, there isn’t one simple answer, rather, a combination of factors.
A perfectly shooting set up shooting vehicle
One of the principal reasons may well be that the Grenadier is just so well set up for the lifestyle of a shooting man or woman. From the sensible wash-down interior and 30/70 split rear doors, to the removable ‘lamping windows’, to the solid ladder-frame chassis and go-anywhere drivetrain, it is almost as if a keen shooting person gave the designers and engineers at INEOS Grenadier a wish-list. Of course, we know that the designer is a shooting and fishing man, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise!
Timeless design
While we’re speaking of design, there’s just something about the overall shape and profile of the Grenadier that speaks to the hearts of the shooting community, harking back as it does to the iconic off-roaders of yesteryear. Like a pair of flashy trainers, so many of today’s smooth-lined SUVs just look out of place and inappropriate for the shooting field - not so with the Grenadier!
The famous Willys Jeep was among the vehicles that inspired the look of the Grenadier
No nonsense
Apart from looking like they are better suited for the racetrack than the farm track, another of people’s biggest complaints about modern off-roaders is that they’re just too complex. Too many gizmos, too much circuitry. Too hard to fix. As such, the Grenadier’s analogue approach and the fact that the vehicle has been engineered to make it easy to work on appeals to those who need their estate vehicle to have minimal downtime. INEOS Grenadier’s decision to publish 3D guides and repair manuals, and offer support from the technical bods at INEOS HQ, will also please those who like to do their own mechanical maintenance.
Versatility
By releasing three models, including two-seater and five-seater commercial models, INEOS Grenadier have ensured that there’s a Grenadier for all users. Gamekeepers and estate workers will no doubt find the capacious cargo area of the two-seater model appealing, while the five-seater non-commercial model will be as at home on the school run as in the field.
Je ne sais quoi
While these are all most excellent reasons, my suspicion is that the biggest factor in the shooting community’s rush to place orders for a Grenadier is rather more nebulous; a sense that INEOS Grenadier wants to be part of the countryside. As I explored in a previous article, in a world where it often feels that everyone is against us, when a brand or business decides to align itself with the fieldsports world, we take them into our hearts and look to support them with our wallets!
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