The company that has made a name for itself in the automotive space by reinventing and toughening the spirit of the original Land Rover Defender, INEOS, wants to expand its menu beyond the Grenadier SUV and Quartermaster pickup to a range of smaller, lighter, and cheaper 4×4 off-roaders. And they will be cheaper, not just because they’ll be manufactured in the U.S., but also because INEOS won’t be repeating the costly ground-up creation of the Grenadier (which may get a V8 variant). One might assume that INEOS plans to use the same architecture, but that’s not the case. After the delayed Fusilier range-extender (EREV) arrives, now expected in 2028, the company will start work on two new products, both of which will be smaller. Why the apparent change of heart about U.S. production?
INEOS Isn’t Building a Shorter Grenadier, But Something Different
INEOS
Now that INEOS counts America as its biggest customer base at 65 percent, despite the impact of tariffs that rose from 2.5 to 15 percent in 2025, every decision it makes must take into account the current geopolitical state of affairs. Therefore, building in the U.S. makes the most sense, and instead of starting something completely new, INEOS is being “extremely agile,” as company CEO Lynn Calder told Autocar. “We’re not building any other cars from the ground up, like we have with the Grenadier,” she said, adding, “We don’t plan to change the wheelbase of the Grenadier or do a huge amount more work on the Grenadier platform. So you won’t see a short-wheelbase Grenadier, but you will see a smaller 4×4.”
INEOS Will Borrow Technology from Established OEMs, But Which?
INEOS
The CEO also said the company’s focus is now on technology sharing, adding that once the company figures out exactly how to make the most of components (potentially including powertrains) that others have already perfected, “[INEOS] will be able to bring more models to market in shorter order.” With the brand having reportedly spoken with China’s Chery to borrow a range-extender platform from iCar/iCaur, but refusing to comment on the talks, INEOS is clearly weighing several options. We can only imagine how delicate the situation is for such a relatively small producer, which has the capacity for 30,000 vehicles a year but is still far from reaching that limit at its French plant. Still, as noted earlier, INEOS is on something of a roll in America currently, and if it gets its new vehicles produced here before the end of 2030 at the right price and with the right performance, it could avoid the current “chicken tax,” grow exponentially, and eventually have the freedom to build even better off-roaders, and who knows, maybe something else, too.
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