The maker of the off-road-focused Grenadier, Ineos Automotive, plans to stop production of the SUV at is plant in France. The company says financial issues at an unnamed supplier resulted in a parts shortage, forcing the stoppage.
Production on the Ineos Grenadier and Quartermaster, above, has been halted due to a supplier issue.
Ineos produces the Grenadier SUV and its sibling, the Quartermaster pickup, at a former BMW plant in Hambach, France. It’s unclear how long the plant will be shut down, but Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder suggested it could carry over into next year.
“The supplier is in a pre-insolvency situation,” Calder told Automotive News Europe. “It’s a trim part but one that we can’t sell the car without.”
Calder also noted the supplier is trying to save the business and she “wants to give them every opportunity to do that.” That said, the company is searching for a second supplier to provide the component.
Bad timing
Ineos Automotive is the brainchild of Jim Ratcliffe, who was a fan of Land Rover Defenders, and wanted to keep building them after production stopped in 2016. The startup automaker is in the early stages of growth globally and from a product perspective.
Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder, center, wants to give the supplier a chance to turn things around.
Calder told Automotive News Europe the company was readying launches in Mexico and China, which would put it in 50 countries around the world. There no plans to change the launch initiatives, but it may take a bit longer to get vehicles into the new markets.
The company recently introduced a slew of variants of its two vehicles. Ineos’ newly formed Arcane Works displayed its first bit of handiwork at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
The division is charged with developing customized limited editions, as well as serving as a testing ground for new chassis systems, advanced engine upgrades, and a host of other new materials and features that will be included in future Ineos models.
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- Ineos Charging More for Grenadier Pickup than SUV
A Detour
Ineos Grenadier Detour, a limited edition from the company’s newly-formed Arcane Works Division.
Arcane Works used Goodwood to reveal its first product, the Ineos Grenadier Detour. The hand-finished Grenadier Detour is limited to 200 samples worldwide, and is still powered by a BMW’s 3.0-liter straight-six.
But it sports a fresh appearance with unique front grille and headlight surrounds, 18-inch forged alloy wheels, and one of four hand-polished colors: Magma Red, Whiteout Blue, Squall Green, and Storm Force Silver. Customers can also have bespoke one-off colors of their choosing.
Inside, the transmission tunnel is finished in one of two new satin finishes, doors, and air vents. Other surfaces are finished in leather and fabric. Seats can be finished in one of four quilted fine-grain Bridge of Weir leathers, while the headliners can be lined with one of two cashmeres from Johnstons of Elgin. Laser-etched aluminum door scuff plates will state its limited-edition status, as will the vehicle’s badging, created by British jewelers, Vaughtons.
Ineos showed off the Grenadier Shortermaster concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Other options
Ineos revealed a lifted Station Wagon and Pick-Up sporting a raised chassis fitted with portal axles and offset wheel hubs that increase ground clearance by 10-to-20 inches and wading depth from 31.5-to-41 inches. Larger tires are also fitted.
A German fire department recently received Grenadiers with similar upgrades produced by LeTech GmbH, Ineos’ German retail partner and vehicle modifier, so the changes aren’t just wishful thinking.
The company also revealed a short-bed version of the Quartermaster pickup, dubbed the “Shortermaster.” It’s a foot shorter than the current iteration of the Quartermaster, and engineers moved the rear seats forward 12 inches to maximize the bed’s capacity.
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