The name Sir Jim Ratcliffe may not ring a bell for many. He is in fact the founder and CEO of the INEOS Group, most probably the biggest company you’ve never heard of. With 26,000 employees and $65 billion in revenues, the group operates across petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. Sir Jim is one of Britain’s wealthiest individuals, worth a staggering $16.4 billion. He recently made the headlines by purchasing 27.7 percent of Manchester United Football Club.
But for us automotive folks, he is known as the founder of INEOS Automotive. The inception of this young brand began when British automaker JLR decided to make drastic new changes to the new Land Rover Defender, much to Sir Jim’s displeasure. One evening at the Grenadier pub in London, several men around the table set out on a journey that would see the creation of a ‘no-nonsense, utilitarian off-road 4×4’. And yes, you might have guessed the name ‘Grenadier’ originates from the pub where it all began, which is now a part of Sir Jim’s real estate portfolio.
INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster
Today, INEOS Automotive produces around 20,000 vehicles a year with British design and German engineering. The vehicles are built in Hambach, France, at a site formerly owned by Mercedes-Benz. They have just launched the brand new INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster, and I have come to test it in person. My stomping ground for the next few days is the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Baviaanskloof translates from Dutch as “valley of baboons”. It is a protected world heritage site that is home to the deadly Cape Cobra, which we have been assured is hibernating, as well as the Cape mountain zebra, black rhinoceros, red hartebeest, buffalo, antelope, and a wide variety of wildlife. While the national park only accounts for around 0.5 percent of the African continent’s surface area, it is home to 20 percent of its plant species.
The park conveniently provides some of the most challenging off-road tracks known to man. Built by the famous South African road engineer Thomas Bain, the initial trails were the work of elephants as part of their migratory routes. I kid you not, the narrow pathways are so perilous that a brief lapse in attention will most certainly result in a steep tumble down the picturesque Baviaanskloof mountains.
The car
As the second variant of the INEOS Grenadier Station Wagon (SW), the brand-new Quartermaster is a twin cabin pick-up that is 12 inches longer than the SW. The Quartermaster comes in three trim levels: Standard, Trialmaster, and Fieldmaster. While the engines remain the same, it’s the exterior and interior cosmetics that separate them.
The standard Quartermaster is a blank canvas for the driver to configure until his or her heart is content. The Fieldmaster has the soul of an explorer with refined interiors and more attention to comfort. When it comes to the Trialmaster, this is kitted out for the extreme off-road conditions. Having driven all three, I can’t say one is better than the other. It all depends on personal choice. For the more discerning clientele that may want to cruise down London’s King’s Road or park up at Monaco’s Casino Square, Arcane Works by INEOS is the division that will create hand-finished personalized limited-edition variants.
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The engine and equipment
Under the bonnet of the Quartermaster sits a BMW-sourced B58 inline-six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 280hp with 450 N.m of torque with a top speed of about 160 km/h. A tuned B58 is also used by Toyota in the Supra. The transmission, which is an eight-speed ZF gearbox, also comes from BMW. The two caliper brakes are from Brembo and the shocks from Bilstein. You also get a permanent four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed mechanical transfer case and Eibach coil springs all around. A locking center differential is standard, and there is an option for front and rear lockers.
During my journey, we drove the Quartermaster on the motorway where it performed well, not excellent. I say that because it takes some getting used to the recirculating ball steering, which is typically heavier than what modern cars use. It is, however, very good for off-roading.
The Quartermaster has two drive mode settings, Off-Road and Wading. Both are activated from the overhead panel, just like an aircraft. At Baviaanskloof we climbed steep hills and crossed rivers, putting the engine and chassis through their paces. We can vouch for both modes, in particular the Wading, which we used to cross several rivers. Although the specs state up to 80cm water depth, we certainly pushed it to 100cm and in the dark of night.
In case you were wondering, the term ‘Quartermaster’ is a military rank of a regimental officer whose responsibilities include conduct, discipline, looking after supplies, and administering the barracks, and these models certainly live up to the name, immensely capable, comfortable, and reassuring to drive. From the exterior, the no-nonsense military vehicle look is a sight for sore eyes in a world of EVs and soft touch 4x4s.
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