Will the Real Defender Please Stand Up
While we admire Land Rover for reviving the Defender, it’s far from the vehicle that put the name on the map. The original Defender and the Series models that pre-dated it were no-nonsense workhorses that put utility and capability above comfort and refinement. If anything, it was probably allergic to those words. The new one is hugely talented off-road and incredibly well-mannered on it, but those looking for the charm and appeal of the old one have had to look elsewhere.
Enter the Ineos Grenadier, and it’s more than just a cosplay of the classic Defender. With three locking diffs, two solid axles, and suspension articulation that will make mountain goats proud, the Grenadier is a true old-school off-roader with modern mod-cons. It’s not great on-road, but true adventurers will love its abilities. For those who complain about its on-road manners, this is not the 4×4 for you.
Afzal Kahn/Instagram
Channeling the Classic Look
Given its resemblance to the Defender and Series models, it was inevitable that the Grenadier would get kits to make it look ever more like the original article. One such package comes from Chelsea Trucks, and at first glance, we can forgive you if you mistake it for an older 110 Defender.
It’s rather amusing that a company called Chelsea Trucks would build such a thing. In England, the term Chelsea Tractor isn’t exactly a positive thing and usually refers to luxury SUVs driven in affluent areas and never see a spec of dust in their lifetimes. The irony isn’t lost on us at all.
The kit comes from Project Kahn, and for those familiar with the Land Rover aftermarket scene, it’s a name that’s long been associated with the brand. But instead of giving the Grenadier its usual outlandish body kits and flared fenders, Project Kahn did the opposite and tapped into heritage. No surprises then that the SUV is called the Grenadier Heritage Remastered.
Afzal Kahn/Instagram
What It Gets
The Grenadier Heritage Remastered draws heavily on the Defender Heritage Edition from 2015. It’s most apparent in its colorway, draped in a nostalgic shade of Grasmere Green. The white roof is another sweet retro touch that evokes images of classic Series models from days gone by.
It then gets an egg-crate grille to draw more parallelisms with older Land Rovers, and it then rides on alloys made to resemble a set of steel rims. It doesn’t get the tall and thin look that old Series models had, so stubby and block all-terrain tires had to do.
There’s another version that wears a more formal color, but the tweaks are pretty much the same. As for the interior, anyone interested can get any shade of trim they want, and throw in a couple more extras as far as their bank account can accommodate.
Chelsea Trucks
Other Highlights
The heritage pack also comes with a special set of front and rear bumpers for the proper old-school four-wheel drive look. Headlight clusters were also changed, and it also has hidden LED driving lights behind the grille. Wider fenders are also part of the mods to accommodate the wider tires.
As for the engine, it’s unchanged from standard Grenadiers. That means a BMW-sourced 3.0-liter inline-six turbo, but detuned for this off-roader. Power is rated at 282 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, which is way less than what one would find in, say, an X5 xDrive40i. In Europe, there is also a diesel option from the BMW catalog, detuned to 245 hp and 405 lb-ft.
The price? It can be yours for £79,999. Convert that to U.S. dollars, and you’re looking at about $108,000. For reference, a Grenadier station wagon starts at $72,600, so it’s a pretty pricey upgrade to avail. Still, for those who miss the classic Defender look, you can get this kit through ECD Auto Designs in America.
