Ineos Automotive will continue to offer both petrol and diesel versions of the Grenadier in Australia – despite a significant sales tilt towards the latter.
Since the local launch of the Grenadier car in 2022, customers have had the choice between two 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engines from BMW – a twin-turbo diesel with 183 kW of power and 550 Nm of torque or a turbo petrol engine with 210 kW and 450 Nm.
However, the diesel proved far more popular, accounting for 80 percent of station wagon sales and a whopping 90 percent of crew cab Quartermaster ute sales.
So are petrol models ready for the ax? No chance, says the local boss of Ineos Automotive, Justin Hocevar.
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“I think that any model splits, powertrain splits or anything like that always have to be seen in the context of the fact that we are a relatively low volume brand,” Mr Hocevar said Daily Sparkz at the launch of the MY26 Grenadier range.
“We are not a large commodity brand that responds to low uptake of a particular specification or option by throwing it out the window and focusing on a standard approach to what is produced for that market.”
“I think the gas is still very safe down here – there are customers who want it.”
“There are certain use cases that work well, just like diesel.”
For comparison, Ineos Automotive does not report its sales statistics to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), but says the Grenadier has now found more than 3,000 new homes in Australia, an average of around 1,000 per year.
Assembled by Magna Steyr, the Grenadier was developed after Land Rover failed to sell the tooling and manufacturing parts for the original Land Rover Defender to British billionaire and chemical engineer Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It is a back to basics ladder frame off-road vehicle that primarily competes with the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series as well as the modern Defender and Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator in Australia.
In terms of market share, the diesel-only 70 Series dominates this area, recording 10,301 deliveries last year alone. Land Rover sold 3,854 Defenders in the same period.
However, Ineos has overtaken Jeep, with its gasoline-powered Wrangler and Gladiator models selling just 765 units combined in 2025.
While the Grenadier remains Ineos’ main focus for the foreseeable future, the brand is also working on a smaller, electrified SUV called the Fusilier.
Accordingly AutocarIneos has begun discussions with Chery about using Chery’s battery electric (EV) and extended range electric vehicle (EREV) platform architecture for the Fusilier project, which first came to light in 2024.
MORE: Explore the Ineos Grenadier showroom
