We certainly embrace change; however, we also believe that in some instances, the old-school way is the way to go. This also seems to be the vision of Sir Jim Radcliffe – the man behind the incredibly appealing and nostalgic Ineos Grenadier.

This isn’t often mentioned, but the Ineos Grenadier is the spiritual successor to the old Defender. When the old Defender was axed, Sir Jim Radcliffe wanted to purchase the model but Land Rover refused to make one. Since he couldn’t get it, he made his own version of it.

Now, the question that remains is whether the Ineos Grenadier is a worthy competitor to the new Land Rover Defender while also being a worthy successor to the old one. We believe that many people view this battle the wrong way. Therefore, in this article, we are going to compare the two vehicles as tools for off-road exploration and not tools for the school run.

Everything about the Ineos Grenadier has been made to suit remote off-road travel and exploration. By this, we don’t mean a trip to the local trails. What we do mean is lapping Australia or crossing Africa. You know, rough roads and harsh conditions over thousands of miles.

This aim of ruggedness and durability has led to a suspension setup that is somewhat of a dying breed. You see, the Ineos features solid front and rear axles. Solid axles offer much more articulation than independent suspension which means wheels can be kept on the ground for longer. This leads to a more stable and capable off-roader.

Articulation, however, isn’t the only benefit of a solid axle. Solid axles are much stronger than independent suspension. The easy way to think about this is that independent suspension SUVs are larger and beefed-up versions of normal road-oriented vehicles. On the other hand, a solid axle SUV is a downsized version of a heavy-duty truck, and it is inherently stronger and easier to maintain. This provides more peace of mind when tackling harsh terrain miles away from civilization.

In a world where most off-roaders utilize traction control systems, the Grenadier is offered with two lockers. This is an old-school setup that combines wheel articulation with locking differentials to make a truck that is unstoppable when the going gets particularly rough.

Also worth mentioning is that the Grenadier is meant to be modified and is delivered from the factory mostly as an empty canvas. It offers mounting points for accessories and its solid axle suspension will accept a lift kit and larger tires with ease. Even its engine can receive mods easily.

The New Defender follows the current norm but with more off-road abilities infused into it. The Defender comes with four-corner independent suspension that utilizes airbags (or coil overs on cheaper variants) that can alter the vehicle's ride height. This provides great off-road clearance but also good on-road manners.

The Defender also offers a locking rear differential that relies on a brake-based electronic design. No front diff locker is available; however, Land Rover’s traction control system is very effective in distributing power to the wheels that need it the most.


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