Grenadier set to operate with mine-clearing group, HALO

From the time of its conception in an English pub, the INEOS Grenadier was set to fill the void left by other vehicles that were traditionally used by NGOs, humanitarian groups and businesses working in remote and rugged areas.

Many of these groups would have used Land Rover Defenders in the past, but with the change in focus of the Defender since 2016, there has been a gap in the market for such vehicles.

The HALO Trust is the world’s largest humanitarian mine-clearance and weapons-disposal organisation and, with a worldwide fleet of more than 600 4x4 vehicles, the joint British and American charity operates off-roaders in some of the most remote and inhospitable places on the planet.

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INEOS Automotive has taken on the HALO Trust as a development partner in the R&D of its Grenadier vehicle and will build a fleet of bespoke vehicles for HALO to operate around the world.

These vehicles will be equipped with features specific to their needs, including anchor points to fit protective mine-proof belly armour and safe storage for mine-clearance tools. They will also need to be easily convertible into ambulances for the safe evacuation of potential casualties.

“I hugely admire the HALO Trust’s mission and the dedication of the HALO team. It is a real privilege to work with them. With decades of experience of running a large number of vehicles in extreme conditions, we could think of no better organisation on Earth for helping us to develop Grenadier,” said Dirk Heilmann, CEO of INEOS Automotive. “All the knowledge and insight HALO is sharing with us is incredibly valuable to the engineering programme, and will ultimately help us create the toughest, most capable vehicle for all users.”

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The Grenadier is currently undergoing testing at sites around the globe prior to production starting later this year and the vehicle going on sale later in 2022. As part of that testing, more than 130 second-phase prototypes are racking up more than 1.8 million kilometres, and prototypes will join active HALO projects in places such as Kosovo.

At the other end of the user spectrum, you might have seen the Grenadier prototypes supporting the British cycling team – the INEOS Grenadiers – in some of the world’s biggest road cycling races. Keep an eye out for them in the upcoming Tour de France.

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The INEOS Grenadier is being moulded in very much the same form as the old Land Rover Defender it will replace. It features a basic slab-sided wagon body riding on a ladder frame with live axles on coil springs front and rear. Power will come from a BMW-sourced inline six-cylinder engine using petrol or diesel fuel. These will be backed by an automatic transmission and a dual-range four-wheel drive system.

Australia is earmarked as an important market for the Grenadier, with a team setting up camp in Melbourne offices to run the local arm and establish a dealer and service network.