30 Jan Grenadier 4X4 arrives in SA
There are a number of definitions for the word ‘grenadier’, but perhaps the most apt befitting the vehicle that is on a special display in Hall B, is “a soldier assigned to a special company of a regiment on the basis of exceptional height and ability”. Manufactured by INEOS Automotive from a facility formerly owned by Mercedes-Benz in Hambach (a town and commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France), the Grenadier is a modern workhorse 4×4 designed, engineered and built to world-class standards and powered by a 3,0-litre diesel or petrol BMW engine. The brand’s simple model line-up provides the basis for buyers to easily select and configure their perfect Grenadier with a wide range of options and access.
The Station Wagon has five seats and is configured to offer the optimum balance between payload and passenger carrying capability. The standard specification Grenadier is a blank canvas ready to be configured for the exact needs of customers. It is built for those needing a stripped back, no nonsense workhorse, but still with the comfort, refinement and standard features that today’s drivers expect.
The Grenadier on display at FMM – which has been dubbed ‘XX5’ – is a very rugged prototype that spent the last 12 months exploring all nine South African provinces as well as Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana. This vehicle has been everywhere from Somerset West to the Sani Pass, up the Skeleton Coast from Swakopmund to Serra Cafema via Mala Mala, Middelburg and Maun, not forgetting traversing Polokwane, Pofadder and Paarl to White River, Windhoek and the Wild Coast, which is what makes this vehicle so special to our market. This prototype vehicle is chassis number five off the factory line. It was intended to complete 4 000 km – but managed 27 026 km before ‘retiring’ to the Franschhoek Motor Museum.
By the end of 2022, INEOS Automotive plans to have a network of more than 200 sales and service sites for the Grenadier spanning over 50 countries, including established dealer groups, 4X4 specialists and agricultural equipment dealers. In Sub-Saharan Africa, INEOS Automotive has already announced its partners in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Botswana. In 2023, more markets across SSA will come online, including Senegal and Ghana.
The Grenadier is on special display in Hall B. Additional information and part press releases can be found at https://ineosgrenadier.com/en/za/news or email ssa@ineosautomotivepr.com or phone the company’s regional PR Astrid de la Rey on +27 72 602 7700.
