Part 1: From the showroom to the tracks

“What kind of car is that?” It’s a question I’ve been asked many times in the first month of driving the Grenadier.

Is it a Land Rover? Is it electric? Is it Chinese? Not many people seem to know exactly what it is. The only other vehicle I’ve driven that causes this much confusion is my 1968 Country Buggy. Yep, Google it.

By now, most people know the story of why the Grenadier was created. Man drives Defender. Defender stops being made. Man decides to build his own four-wheel drive to replace his much-loved Defender – but better. That man is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of Ineos, Manchester United and a large part of the Mercedes F1 team.

I owned a 2015 Defender back in 2023 in the UK, and I’ve also owned a 1976 VW Kombi. In many ways, the Kombi and Defender feel like a closer driving experience than the Defender and Grenadier. Yes, the Grenadier looks a little like an old Defender, but that’s where the similarities stop. I was lucky enough to go on a few of the Grenadier’s Australian development trips in the Outback a few years back. These were all pre-production vehicles and not final spec. They were rough and still being worked on by engineers, but even then I could tell they were highly capable, and I was looking forward to driving the production model.

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Fast forward to late 2025 and I’m picking up my long-term Grenadier. I’ve gone for a Trialmaster Station Wagon in Scottish White (apparently named after one of Sir Jim’s Scottish mates and his white legs), powered by the BMW B57 diesel engine. I opted for steel wheels, leather trim, heated seats and Safari Windows. The base price is $120,000, plus $8670 in options.

The Trialmaster comes standard with front and rear diff locks, a raised air intake, Class III 1-7/8” NAS tow hitch and electrics, and an access ladder. I also had factory rubber mats added. There are no carpets in this vehicle and that’s exactly how I like it – rubber mats and a vinyl floor are the best.

The very first thing you notice when you drive a Grenadier is the steering. It doesn’t self-centre very quickly compared to most other vehicles. Once you’re aware of this and get used to the steering technique required, it’s fine. Just be ready for it. The Recaro seats are very comfortable and help soak up the kays, plus they look cool. Rear passengers also get a Recaro bench seat, and I like how high it sits you in the back. It’s great for kids, as it makes it easier to look out of the vehicle, placing rear passengers at a similar head height to those in the front.

I picked up the Grenadier just before the start of the summer holidays, and it’s proven to be a great beach vehicle. Having no carpets makes it super easy to get sand out, and the interior utility rails work well when you’ve got lots of gear to tie down in the back.

I strap the surfboards to the roof, with four factory rails fitted. I’m planning to get a roof rack, but more on that later. Running to and from the beach is fun, and the kids have found it to be a great family vehicle so far. It’s not really what this vehicle is designed for, though. Yes, it will do the day-to-day tarmac stuff just fine. The 550Nm of torque that the BMW engine pumps out makes keeping up with traffic easy as well.

It was time to head off-road, so I pointed it toward Lerderderg State Park. I’ve photographed and driven many four-wheel drives up here, so it’s a great place to get to know the Grenadier. The first thing I do once I hit the dirt is flick the low-range selector lever across to lock the centre diff. This also automatically turns off the ESC.

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I leave it in high range to begin with. The ride on gravel roads is excellent and, as I start to push it a little harder, it actually feels light on its feet and keen to turn in sharply. I then head to some fairly steep, rutted tracks. I select low range and start driving up the first climb. The Grenadier has solid axles front and rear, which gives it excellent wheel articulation. I try engaging the rear diff lock and it just walks up the track. No need to even try the front diff lock – I need to find a harder track. That will have to wait until my next trip, though. My first experience off-road has shown that the Grenadier is highly capable, and I’m going to enjoy finding gnarlier places to drive it.

One thing that takes a while to get used to is having the speedo in the centre display rather than directly in front of you. Living in Victoria and constantly stressing about being 3km/h over the limit, I sort of wish it was straight ahead. My other small gripe is that the driver’s-side wiper misses a chunk of the windscreen near the A-pillar. It only becomes an issue if you really get the vehicle and screen super muddy, but I do notice it.

Plans? We’re going to throw some factory and non-factory accessories at the Grenadier while we have it, starting next month. Can’t wait.

  • Kilometres this month: 4780km
  • Average fuel use: 11.7L/100km
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