Although it’s a newcomer to the automotive industry, Ineos has big plans for the future. It’s experimenting with a hydrogen-electric version of the Grenadier, its first model, with Hyundai, and it announced plans to release a smaller electric SUV designed jointly with Magna in 2026.
Official details about the off-roader are few and far between; Ineos has merely clarified that the yet-unnamed 4×4 will be more compact than the Grenadier, which stretches about 191 inches long, 76 inches wide, and 80 inches tall, and that Austrian company Magna will play a big role in the development process. The two companies are designing the EV to deliver “world-class off-road capability” and a comfortable ride.
The tie-up isn’t as random as it might sound: Magna helped Ineos make the Grenadier (pictured) a reality, and the firm has been developing off-roaders for decades. It’s too early to discuss details like the model’s positioning, but it’s interesting to note that the development process will include “a rigorous testing program on Austria’s Schöckl mountain,” which Mercedes-Benz uses as a test track for the G-Class. Some Gs have even worn a “Schöckl-proven” emblem. The odds of Ineos releasing a direct rival for the G-Class are low, the company specializes in rugged, back-to-the-basics models, but reading between the lines suggests that the electric SUV will offer G-Class-like off-road capacity.
More details about the electric Ineos SUV will emerge in the coming months. Production will start in Graz, Austria, in 2026 — that’s the same facility that has built the G-Class for decades (and that also builds the Toyota Supra, among other cars). In the meantime, the chemical giant-turned-carmaker will continue testing an electric variant of the Grenadier which could spawn a production-bound two-door SUV, and its first pickup is tentatively scheduled to make its debut before the end of 2023. Like the Grenadier, the truck will fill the gap left by the original Land Rover Defender. The second-generation model moved significantly upmarket and, unlike its predecessor, is not available as a pickup.
Source: www.autoblog.com