Ineos Automotive has resumed development of a smaller, electrified SUV and that its public debut and clarification of launch timing will take place in the “not too distant future.”
The Fusilier was first revealed as an electric concept vehicle in February 2024 and was originally scheduled to launch in 2027. It was intended to be the smallest model in the Ineos range, which currently includes the Grenadier SUV and Grenadier Quartermaster ute.
However, according to the company, these plans were put on hold less than six months later due to “hesitant consumer adoption of electric vehicles and industry uncertainty regarding tariffs, schedules and taxes.”
In June 2025, product expansion was back on the agenda Autocar Ineos had reportedly begun discussions with Chery about using the Chinese brand’s iCar battery electric (EV) and extended range electric vehicle (EREV) platform architecture for the Fusilier.
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And now, in 2026, the project appears to be making progress.
“The Grenadier and Quartermaster alone will not support our growth strategy,” said Justin Hocevar, Ineos Automotive regional director for Australia, New Zealand and APAC Daily Sparkz.
“In terms of this product strategy, we know we need to do more and we believe there is a great opportunity to do more because we have now positioned the Grenadier as the most extreme version of our 4×4 capability.”
“The concept of the Fuselier – something slightly smaller than the Grenadier – is still a vision that is alive and well within the company and we are actively working on what this vehicle or vehicle could look like in the future. We will talk about that in the not too distant future.”
“As far as announcing the schedule, I don’t think it will be years away.”
While the Fusilier was originally intended to be purely electric, Ineos has since decided to add the option of a range extender powertrain (EREV) with an internal combustion engine to charge the battery.
Given the size of this continent and its limited public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, this decision is likely to be well received in Australia.
“The project changed over time, and the pause in this project had, in part, a lot to do with our desire to have an alternative new energy powertrain in this vehicle – hybridization or a range extender solution,” explained Mr. Hocevar.
“We had to pause this project because we started it too quickly.
“Now that we’ve had some time, we have a better understanding of what we think is happening in many markets around the world and what technology is available to us.”
Even in range extender form, the Fusilier will help Ineos meet its CO2 emissions targets in the UK and Europe.
It will also broaden the automaker’s appeal, currently limited by the Grenadier’s narrow off-road and trailer focus, as well as its size and price.
“If Australia had access to Grenadier, something medium and something smaller, we would be really happy with the product portfolio. That would probably take us far,” Mr Hocevar concluded.
As with Ineos’ other model names, “Fusilier” is a military term – more specifically, it refers to a member of several regiments in the British Army that were formerly armed with fusils, a type of musket.
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