Ineos is facing a tough road at the moment, and it’s not the sort best suited for the Grenadier. The automaker will reportedly lay off several hundred employees. That might be a slim percentage of the overall workforce for a larger automaker, but for the 1,700+ folks at Ineos, it’s a lot.
According to The Guardian, Ineos plans to reduce its office staff currently employed at numerous locations across Europe and the United Kingdom. The Ineos plant in Hambach, France, however, appears to remain unaffected by this move.
Ineos's billionaire owner and founder, Jim Ratcliffe, also owns the Ineos petrochemical company. That outfit is currently sitting with large, looming debts—the total figure could be as much as nearly $14 billion by year's end. The automotive side of Ratcliffe’s business faces an uphill battle, as well.
Tariffs certainly damaged the brand’s sales rate. The United States is the largest market for the Grenadier. Adding a significant cost to an extremely niche vehicle that’s already expensive to start makes it a tougher proposition for potential buyers. Ineos Automotive saw a nearly $400 million loss in the previous year.
The vehicle lineup is fun, though. The Grenadier, along with the Quartermaster pickup, delivers a sense of true old-school off-road adventure. Ratcliffe started the company in response to the direction Land Rover took its Defender. The design is clearly reminiscent of the Defender’s boxy brilliance, but BMW power provides modern motivation.
Some reviews mention a dislike of the steering system in the Grenadier. That's just old school tech applied in a modern world. If you're a fan of off-road vehicles, the Grenadier feels just fine. The BMW power is a strong match for the assignment, and the interior layout is quirky in a good way. Ineos definitely builds a neat truck.
While it’s a vehicle not fit for a larger market, the Ineos offerings do have their fans. It will be interesting to see if Ratcliffe’s automotive endeavor can hold out. While the trucks can certainly weather a storm, the financial future of the brand has a hard road ahead.
Source: The Guardian
