Ineos Grenadier Commercial (2025 - ) review

The cargo space has come into existence through the removal of the Grendier’s second row of seats and levelling off of the resulting gap. A metal mesh bulkhead has been placed behind the two front seats and lashing points mounted on tracks and the side walls. It’s a solid cargo area offering over two cubic metres of load volume, a 1.5m maximum load length, a 1m load height and 1.26m load width. The vehicle’s maximum payload is a respectable 796kg and is capable of towing up to 3,500kg. The rear side doors have been panelled out and are useful access ways, although the main rear doors split 80/20 are wide and stay solidly in place when opened. The roof is also capable of supporting 150kg while driving and over 450kg while parked, great for roof campers, but also for carrying even more cargo outside of the vehicle. For a vehicle of its type, designed for use in the settings it is aimed at, it is a comprehensive offering.

At first glance, the interior of the Grenadier Commercial looks hardy and utilitarian, and then you start noticing the switches, the leather seats, the stylish cup holders, the compass in the dashboard, and the roof-mounted off-road driving controls. Then you step in and that’s when you really feel the aviation influences and realise you’re not sitting in a cabin, you’re sitting in a cockpit. The dashboard is highly minimal with only a small infotainment screen in the centre that features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Directly behind the control-covered steering wheel (including the big red ‘toot’ button for warning cyclists) is a small function light screen… and then you have a huge amount of switches and controls on a centre console below the infotainment screen and mounted on the roof. Most of the ‘car like’ controls sit on the lower deck, while the switches on the roof are the off-road/power/lighting controls. The heated seats (optional) are perfectly comfortable and provide a high driving position with excellent visibility to the end of the vehicle’s nose. The extra options added to the interior included the leather trim in black, heated seats, the Nappa leather driver’s pack, utility flooring, the stylish compass with altimeter, and interior utility rails… all of which are available for significant extra cost. It’s half novelty, half function and strikes a good balance.

Prices start at around £52K excluding VAT, and the more options you add, the more expensive this vehicle gets, but as a proper commercial vehicle (abiding by all the right rules) you can reclaim the VAT on it. The model we tested was priced at around £61K (OTR) excluding VAT and packed a 3.0-litre straight six BMW B57 diesel engine under the bonnet, which is about as efficient as you might imagine. A 3.0-litre BWM B58 petrol unit is also available, again as efficient as it sounds, and both engines are mated to the same eight-speed automatic gearbox. The diesel unit we tested clearly offsets costs to keep it running with raw power, so it’s logical to assume that the businesses needing a vehicle like this understand the running costs. You can also help yourself further by breaking down the costs on finance or on a good lease deal.

All Grenadiers, commercial or otherwise, are covered by a five-year manufacturer’s warranty, which is good. However, there have been reports of various issues such as noisy axels, software glitches, fit and finish problems, and suspension problems at higher speeds. These are not issues we encountered during our test. The only problem we did encounter was a high-pitched whining coming from the steering column that was intermittent at the beginning of the loan period and got progressively louder until we handed it back. At this stage, we don’t know what that whine was, but it didn’t hamper the vehicle’s capabilities.

The Grenadier Commercial performs well as a commercial vehicle, allowing easy loading, decent driving and confident off-road capabilities. There’s little to wax lyrical on beyond restating just how easily this vehicle will cope with difficult terrain. The fact it can do that while carrying nearly 800kg payloads in the back is double impressive. Do we wish it drove better on roads? Yes, but you can’t always get what you want. But despite the price, we reckon there’s businesses out there that could benefit from a Grenadier Commercial being their workhorse, it certainly has the credentials.

On the one hand, this vehicle’s off-road driving capabilities are fantastic, but on the other it’s not the best vehicle to drive on roads. So let’s deal with on-road driving. It can handle itself on any road you care to throw at it, but the automatic gearbox is sluggish when you try to get away from junctions and negotiate roundabouts. It’s not bad to drive, but the ‘nostalgic’ steering with no return-to-centre function feels odd, you get used to it, but it feels odd having to steer on and off corners. You can get where you need to go and that’s fine. Off-road is where the Grenadier of any model excels, because all of that power at low speeds is what you need. We took it on rugged farm land, deep gravel bowls and even over a few log edges just to see how it would cope. And it coped without ever breaking a sweat. Engaging the low range was simple, locking the differentials a cakewalk, and we didn’t encounter any difficulties at all. If we were to judge the vehicle only on its off-roading skills, then it would score full marks, but a commercial vehicle does have to drive from A to B. Yes it can handle any road, but sometimes we missed the feeling of driving a car that other vehicles in this segment offered. It gets five stars for off-roading, and three for on-roading, so that comes out to a solid four stars… check my workings.

The Grenadier Commercial packs a wide range of safety equipment including front and rear parking assist, a full roadside emergency kit, and ADAS such as Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Driver Drowsiness Detection. The vehicle we tested sported the ‘Smooth Pack’ that included an advanced anti-theft alarm and immobiliser, a rear-view camera, powered and heated exterior mirrors, heated windscreen washer jets, puddle lamps and ambient door lighting, and auxiliary charging points. The off-road systems are also incredibly safe and easy to use, and we never once felt lacking in confidence while driving the vehicle. Well done to Ineos for managing to pull that feeling of safety off.

Aside from all the features already listed in previous sections of this review, the model we tested featured rear side panels instead of glass, solid aluminum rear door panels instead of glass, exterior bump strips, tailgate privacy glass, access ladder to the roof, raised air intake for wading, a fixed tow ball and electrics, the differential locks at the front and rear, rubber floor mates, the very nice side runner bars, and those enormous BFG tyres. All of which come at significant extra cost.

You’ll buy the Ineos Grenadier Commercial because you need a hard-working vehicle that’s capable of effortless off-road driving, has solid payload carrying and towing ability, and absolutely looks the part while doing its job. The pricing is high (starting at £52K excluding VAT), but Ineos is candid about its belief in the vehicle’s 20-year expected lifetime and how it’s an investment in a long-lasting vehicle. We’ll have to reserve judgement on the 20 years claim, but we can absolutely attest to the Grenadier Commercial’s capabilities. It’s the version of the Grenadier we believe plays most to its strengths, and it’s the commercial vehicle in its sector right now that absolutely feels like it should be taken the most seriously, even with the expensive options list.