If you thought Britain’s answer to the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series – and the spiritual successor for the old Land Rover Defender – could get any more off-road capable, think again.
The hardcore Ineos Grenadier SUV and Quartermaster dual-cab ute have been blessed with portal axles that increase ground clearance from 186mm to a huge 450mm, and their wading depth from 800mm to a swimming pool-like 1050mm.
The Grenadier’s portal axle upgrade is developed and supplied by German off-road specialist LETECH, which has incorporated the more capable drivetrain into a unique new model variant dubbed the Grenadier Trailmaster X LETECH, and it won’t come cheap.
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First debuting in prototype form at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the upgraded off-roaders are now available to order in Europe, with markets like Australia and the UK expected to follow.
The portal-axled Grenadier Station Wagon is priced at a cool €170,000 (A$301,800), and the Quartermaster costs €171,000 ($A303,500), both excluding VAT and local taxes.
That makes them significantly more expensive than the rugged Grenadier and Quartermaster Trialmaster variants on which they’re based, which are priced from $117,000 before on-road costs in Australia, and the portal axle technology appears unlikely to be offered as a standalone option.
However, Ineos says it has received over 1000 expressions of interest in the LETECH edition.
These have come from individuals and rescue services, aid agencies and other commercial fleets operating vehicles in extreme environments across Europe, where first deliveries will soon take place.
Ineos will ship Grenadier vehicles from the Hamburg factory in France directly to LETECH, which was founded in 2009 and has been an official Grenadier sales and service partner since 2021, before the portal-axle conversion is completed and a host of other off-road upgrades fitted at its facility near Stuttgart.
The conversion includes new heavy-duty five-link front and rear suspension systems, portal axles with wheel hubs offset from the main axle, and larger 37-inch BFGoodrich mud terrain tyres – the only three modifications to the Grenadier’s drivetrain, which continues to comprise turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines supplied by BMW.
X LETECH vehicles will be available with either engine.
The X LETECH package also includes 8.5×18-inch ET55 Hutchinson Industries forged beadlock alloy wheels and various LETECH-supplied components, including:
- High-performance braking system
- Extended wheel-arches
- Off-road running boards with jacking points
- Front-mounted 4500kg Warn Zeon 10 winch
- Spare wheel carrier
- Multifunction rear ladder with jerrycan mount
- Roof rack with planking and LED lighting
- LED lightbar
- Door sill scuff plates
- Exclusive A-pillar badging
There’s also a fully integrated tyre pressure control system, loadspace box with two lockable drawers, LED rear work lights and a Maxtrax sand ladder kit.
Standard equipment will include safari windows, leather trim in either black or grey/black, heated front seats, a premium sound system, carpet floor mats and privacy glass, in addition to standard Trailmaster features.
Ineos says the engineering modifications not only result in a wider vehicle footprint, optimised weight distribution, greater wheel travel and improved axle articulation, but retain the Grenadier’s 3500kg towing capacity as well as its payload (up to 540kg for the Station Wagon and 642kg for the Quartermaster) following a gross vehicle mass (GVM) upgrade to 4.2 tonnes.
It says its standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty remains, while LETECH will offer a two-year warranty for its conversion parts.
“The Grenadier Trialmaster X LETECH is the perfect example of how the off-road fundamentals of the Grenadier makes it the ideal base for epic conversions. With such strong interest from customers, we were very keen to respond quickly and collaborate on bringing the LETECH-enhanced Grenadier to market, starting with Europe and quickly expanding to other key markets,” said Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder.
CarExpert understands the LETECH treatment will eventually become available to Australians, once supply and local certification details are sorted.
“Plans to offer portal axle converted Grenadiers officially in other key markets globally are subject to future announcements,” said Ineos in its media release.