Watch out, Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger! 2023 Ineos Grenadier 4x4 dual-cab ute confirmed for Australian launch

Fancy owning a brand-new ute that looks a lot like a Land Rover Defender 130 crew cab? Well, Aussie ute lovers, already spoilt for choice, will get their chance to buy a dual-cab ute version of the Ineos Grenadier, as it's tipped to hit our shores in 2023.

The British-made Grenadier 4WD wagon - for some, a too-close-for-comfort homage to the Land Rover Defender – is yet to go on sale anywhere, because it is still in pre-production testing phases, but it will likely be made available to Aussie customers in the last quarter of 2022.

None of those timings, however, have prevented Ineos Automotive officials from touting the arrival of the ute version of the Grenadier.

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Head of sales & marketing for APAC (Asia-Pacific) at Ineos Automotive Justin Hocevar said the company recognised the importance of the ute market in Australia and beyond, and, as such, a Grenadier ute would be a crucial part of an ongoing strategy in the region.

Though details on it remain light at this stage, the off-road ute will have the wagon’s 3.0-litre BMW-sourced straight-six petrol (210kW/450Nm) or diesel (185kW/550Nm) engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, permanent four-wheel drive, and front, centre and rear locking differentials.

The ute will carry over the Grenadier wagon’s hardcore 4x4 spirit with its boxy traditional-looking 4WD styling as well as a ladder-frame chassis and live axles front and rear. It will have coil springs and be manufactured in Hambach, France.

Inside, it is expected to have an old-school dashboard and an overhead console, and it will sport a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia set-up, waterproof Recaro seats, wipe-down surfaces, rubber mats and drain plugs in the floor.

In terms of exterior appearance, the Grenadier ute will have a stretched wheelbase, and as such will have similar dimensions to a Land Rover Defender 130 crew cab.

Ineos is aiming for the ute to be able to legally cope with a one tonne payload and 3500kg towing.

As for the Grenadier wagon, it is currently undergoing field testing which includes clocking up a touted 1.8 million kilometres in the UK, Sweden, Iceland, the USA, South Africa and Australia.

The two-seat entry-level commercial version of the Grenadier will have a starting price of $84,500 plus on-road costs (“indicative pricing, not finalised”, according to Ineos Automotive officials). 

“Some models will sit on top of that, but they won’t disappear into stratospheric pricing,” Mr Hocevar said.

The wagon will launch with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assistance, and a five-year service plan will be available from new, but no pricing for that was available at time fo writing.

The Grenadier ute will be priced below the wagon, according to Ineos officials.