Ineos Grenadier vs Mercedes-Benz G-Class

What's the difference?

The Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon is an impressive four-wheel drive. This five-seat off-roader is stacked with features, is very capable off-road and it's actually not atrocious on-road. But its price will deter a lot of people and those who buy into the Grenadier lifestyle have to be prepared to endure some compromises and discomfort along the way… because this is not for everyone. And that’s kind of the point.

This is a new old-school 4WD – a niche within a niche – and while it’s bursting at the seams with an abundance of quirky features, those quirks may quickly lose their appeal and become annoyances. A lot of people will buy the Grenadier because they like the idea of it, but the reality of living with it day to day – or any old-school 4WD, for that matter – may be uncomfortable for them, similar to all of those people who bought a camper-trailer during COVID only to realise they hated camping.

When all is said and done, the Grenadier is a retro-cool 4WD with solid off-road capability.

As per the 1979 original, the current G-Class is produced by Magna Steyr in Arnie’s home town of Graz in Austria. And many fundamental things haven’t changed since then. But clearly this EV monster’s exotic electric powertrain is a huge departure.

It retains impressive off-road ability and straight-line speed. But will it hit the mark with top-end luxury 4WDers? Short story, this thing is wild, and it will be irresistible for a likely narrow band of tech-focused ‘must have the latest and greatest’ buyers. Nothing like impressing friends and family with a tank turn.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

In terms of its design, you're either going to love the Grenadier or not. This is a big, tall, chunky four-wheel drive, with plenty of presence about it and if that’s your cup of tea you’re in luck.

This Grenadier is 4855mm long (with a 2922mm wheelbase), 1930mm wide, 2050mm high and a listed kerb weight starting from 2150kg, depending on how many accessories you have onboard.

In Trialmaster guise, this Grenadier has a raised air intake, sidesteps, big steel wheels and all of the sort of stuff that screams, "Hey, look at me. I'm an off-roader!”.

The interior is spare enough to retain the spirit of adventure the Grenadier so wants to conjure but with plenty of comfort and features on offer (more about those aspects in the next section).

But the Recaro seats, the profusion of buttons, knobs and dials, and this 4WD’s abundance of quirky design cues, all more than a bit of a novelty, combine to set this interior apart from the mainstream 4WD market.

It’s a military-style cockpit, but in a good way; this is a snug cabin replete with textured surfaces and durable materials, and again the dash and ceiling are seemingly peppered with controls.

So, in the design stakes, the Grenadier has it all over most rivals, except perhaps the Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series wagon, which also exudes old-school cool.

Okay, so Mercedes-Benz says, with a straight face, that “with the aim of optimising the vehicle’s aerodynamics” classic G-Class elements have been revised, including the reprofiled bonnet, ‘air curtain’ vents in the flares over the rear wheel arches, A-pillar cladding and the small spoiler on the edge of the roof.

At the same time, the 20-inch wheels are also claimed to be "aerodynamically optimised” and underneath, a 26mm underbody casing made from a mix of materials, including carbon-fibre (attached to the ladder frame with more than 50 steel screws), protects the battery from dust, dirt and rocks.

In ticking off the Edition One, car-spotters should look for black rims with blue brake callipers behind them, blue inserts in the exterior protective strips as well as black door handles and a new rectangular design box on the rear door for storing items such as charging cables, tools or snow chains. If you want a spare wheel, choose the standard model.

An optional black-panel radiator grille ($3800) features tinted lighting units as well as an animated LED light band and chrome surround. The light band can be activated as a running light or an animation when locking and unlocking the vehicle.

And it’s worth noting Mercedes-Benz and the car’s contracted manufacturer, Magna Steyr, have invested much time and many Euros in retaining the car’s classic handle and door lock design. G-Wagen owners will recognise its sound from several kilometres away.

Inside the G580 it’s clear this is one area where the G-Class has progressed enormously over the decades. It’s still quite upright in terms of the dash design, but you’re confronted by twin 12.3-inch screens, supporting the Mercedes-Benz user interface. 

All very high-tech, but that’s balanced by an old-school grab-handle for the front passenger to latch onto during off-road work. 

The signature turbine-style air vents are located within squared-off panels, and in the limited Edition One you have a blue fleck running through carbon-fibre inserts on the centre console, door cards and that front grab handle. In the standard car it’s a (very attractive) walnut open-pore wood rather than carbon.

A luxurious interior for sure.

There is a lot to like about the Grenadier cabin when considered through a lens focused on practicality and comfort.

I’ve revised my opinion on the Grenadier’s all-around practicality since I last tested the Quartermaster Trialmaster and, as a result, have uprated it from 7.0 to 8.0 – but it’s important to note here that our test vehicle is equipped with plenty of extra-cost add-ons which have helped bolster the cabin’s rating.

The interior is set up for the messiness of day-to-day life, with an abundance of hard plastic and other durable surfaces everywhere. Its big chunky rubber mats all cop a bit of a beating, but remember those come at an extra cost ($381, at time of writing).

The seats in the front and back – all Recaro – are comfortable, as you get plenty of room everywhere, and while the control panel is a bit of a confusion of dials and knobs and buttons, if you give yourself a time to get used to it you should be fine.

The Grenadier Station Wagon is a five-seater and with all five seats in use, there is a fair amount of space at the back for all of your gear. I had my vehicle-recovery gear in here, MaxTrax, two air compressors and there's plenty of space available.

The rear cargo space has a durable, hard plastic floor and that cargo area is equipped with movable tie-down points in the walls and fixed tie-down points on each wall and a 12-volt socket.

It's made for real life, it’s ready for dirt and mud and mess, so it's not too bad. For all-round robust practicality, the Grenadier bests its rivals.

For the record, the G63 is just over 4.6m long and a little more than 1.9m wide with a 2890mm wheelbase. So, not huge, but its close to 2.0m height is hard to ignore. 

In the front there’s lots of breathing space, and in terms of storage you have generous bins in the doors with plenty of room for big bottles. Then there’s a centre armrest, which doubles as the top of a deep storage box housing a USB-C port inside. 

A sliding roller cover in the centre console reveals two cupholders, another two USB-C sockets, a 12-volt outlet and a wireless charging pad. Add in a big glove box and you’ve got plenty of options in terms of storage, power and connectivity. 

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I’ve got tons of foot and legroom and, no surprise, lots of headroom.

There’s a fair bit of sculpting in the rear seat, which is as nice as it is unusual (makers often avoid bolsters on the rear seat as it makes the backrest harder to fold flat). And in terms of three-abreast accommodation, a smaller adult will be okay in the centre spot for shorter journeys. Three up to mid-teenage kids will be swimming in it.

Then, for practicality you again have generous bins in the doors. And if you need even more capacity, fold down the centre armrest which houses two different size cupholders. 

In the rear of the centre console you’ve got two USB-Cs, a 12-volt power outlet, individual climate control and directional vents.

There are map rockets on the front seatbacks and more air vents in the B-pillar. So, when it comes to comfort, powering up devices and storing ‘things’ you’re well taken care of.

The side-opening tailgate door opens from right to left, which isn’t ideal when parallel parked on the left hand side of the road, but boot volume is over 600 litres (VDA) with all seats upright, expanding to nearly 2000 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

There are multiple tie-down hooks, a netted pocket, two lights, a 12-volt outlet as well as a ‘ski-port’ door and sliding cargo cover to enhance practicality and security.

As mentioned earlier, the full-size spare in the standard model, but the Design Box replaces it on the Edition One, although Mercedes-Benz says it’s aiming to make a spare available as an option later in the year.

The new Mercedes-Benz G580 is priced at $249,900 and a more highly-specified limited Edition One version comes in at $299,900, both before on-road costs.

That’s a price territory where the BMW X5 and X6 M Competition ($244,900 & $250,900) as well as the Range Rover Autobiography ($233,961) live. Not to mention competition from the G580’s still available and appreciably pricier twin-turbo V8 Mercedes-AMG G63 stablemate ($365,900).

As you’d expect, the standard features list is substantial and the highlights are Burmester 3D Surround Sound audio (with digital radio), leather upholstery, keyless entry and start, a multi-function steering wheel trimmed in Nappa leather, power front seats with memory function, heated and cooled cupholders, and wireless smartphone charging. 

There’s also dual 12.3-inch driver instrument and central media displays, ambient lighting and adaptive LED headlights as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

As well as cosmetic changes, covered shortly, the Edition One steps up to ‘Silver Pearl’ and black Nappa leather trim (with blue contrast stitching).

There’s also a range of optional packages bundling up everything from exterior body elements to interior trim and additional multimedia, the latter especially for back-seaters. 

The ‘Night Package’ ($4300) includes black exterior mirror housings, black running boards and wheels as well as darkened exterior lights and a radiator shell that can be illuminated for an impressive profile while driving.

A ‘Superior Line Interior Plus Package’ ($14,500) brings full Nappa leather upholstery, ‘Active Multicontour Seat Package Plus’ and grab handles in leather. Then a ‘Manufaktur Exterior Package’ ($4100) finishes the roof, bumpers and wheel arches in ‘Obsidian Black’. 

But the one that will score you maximum brownie points with the kids is the ‘Interior Comfort Package’ ($8500), featuring a rear seat entertainment system, including two integrated 11.6-inch touch displays.

The Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon Trialmaster is available with either a BMW 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (producing 210kW at 4750rpm and 450Nm at 1750-4000rpm) or a BMW 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 183kW at 3250-4200rpm and 550Nm at 1250rpm-3000rpm.

Our test vehicle has the diesel. This Grenadier has an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and a dual transfer case (high- and low-range 4WD), as well as a front, centre and rear diff lock – those are Trialmaster-level features.

This is a nicely refined engine-and-auto combination that does, however, take some urging to keep this big blocky beast on the move but, all in all, it offers a decent punch of torque across a wide rev range when needed while 4WDing.

It may not be overly slick or smooth, but the Grenadier’s engine and auto at least put it on a par with the likes of the Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series.

The G580 is powered by four permanently excited synchronous motors, each delivering around a CLA200’s worth of power and torque to each wheel for overall outputs in excess of 432kW/1164Nm.

Each motor has its own two-stage transmission and power electronics for almost infinite fine-tuning of the direction and amount of drive sent to individual wheels. Merc calls it ‘individual-wheel drive’.

Fuel consumption for the Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon with the diesel engine is listed as 10.5L/100km, and that's on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

On this test, which included a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing, I recorded 12.2L/100km. 

This vehicle has a 90-litre fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel consumption figures, from a full tank, you could reasonably expect a driving range of almost 740km.

The diesel Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon has a 17-litre AdBlue tank, which you’ll have to top-up as required.

None of its rivals are particularly impressive in terms of fuel efficiency, so the Grenadier holds it owns here.

Housed in a torsion-resistant casing and embedded low down in its ladder-frame chassis, the G580’s 116kWh two-tier, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack delivers a WLTP-rated range of 473km, or 567km on the more lenient NEDC scale.

‘Eco Assistant’ and ‘Range Monitoring’ functions provide continuous information on battery status, energy consumption and estimated range.

Maximum system capacity is 400 volts which enables 200kW DC charging, meaning a 10 to 80 per cent fill in as little as 32 minutes. Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW.

Claimed energy use is 23.1kWh/100km, and we saw an average of 28.6kWh across urban and highway running on the launch drive program.

Not exactly a ‘green’ EV choice, then, but it’s worth noting a one-year Chargefox subscription is included to off-set the car’s energy appetite.

There’s a pleasant surprise in store for you if you haven’t been in an Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon before. It's not terrible on road, it’s actually quite nice to drive.

Keep your expectations in check, though. This is after all a tall, blocky four-wheel drive wagon, so there is wind noise around the mirrors and the straight up-and-down windscreen and there is some tyre noise, especially from the Trialmaster’s BFG all-terrain tyres. But overall, it's not too bad.

You have to constantly make minor corrections in the steering to keep this chunky mongrel in line, and it takes some urging to get moving, but otherwise it is quite reasonable on sealed surfaces.

However, this one of those vehicles that is, of course, best exercised off-road. And the news is mostly good.

An impressive over-arching aspect about this vehicle is the fact you can drive it straight out of the dealership into some challenging 4WD-only terrain and you shouldn't have a problem as long as you drive it with consideration. This Grenadier is pretty much fully kitted out for hardcore four-wheel driving – or as close as you can get to it in a standard (albeit very well-equipped) off-roader.

The six-cylinder, as mentioned, works well with the eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s a punchy combination, but not over the top.

It has impressive low-range gearing, plenty of torque on tap, quietly effective driver-assist tech (including hill descent control), and, in this Grenadier, you have front, centre and rear diff locks, so all of those factors help to make this a willing and able four-wheel drive.

As well, off-road angles (36.2-degree approach, 36.1 departure and 28.2 ramp-over) all check out for a vehicle of this size. Ground clearance is a listed 264mm, wading depth is 800mm and if you happen to touch earth with the undercarriage of this vehicle it has solid underbody protection for such occasions. There are, however, some trade-offs worth noting.

The tweaked steering still lacks the pinpoint precision that is handy, especially when you're four-wheel driving. It has a very floaty ride on road because it is a big vehicle and it's more at home in a four-wheel drive scenario.

You have to drive this vehicle with plenty of mechanical sympathy, it has to be used with reasonable use in mind. This is after all $150,000 worth of rolling machinery and if you want to keep it as new, then you'd better drive it with care.

And, while that underbody is well protected, it needs to be because it’s quite vulnerable to tree roots, rocks, rocky steps and any other kind of natural hazard you may encounter in the bush.

Also, like any decent old-school-style four-wheel drive that's worth its salt, engaging the diff locks requires some patience, because it’s a process that has to be done in a strict sequence. First, engage the centre diff, then the rear and then the front. The diff lock buttons are on the ceiling control panel so give yourself time to get your head around it and you’ll be fine. This vehicle demands your attention because it is a real driver-focused experience, which is great.

If you plan to use your Grenadier station wagon as a tow vehicle, it’s handy to know its capacities are 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 3500kg (braked).

The Grenadier matches or betters its rivals in terms of on- and off-road driving.

So, with 432kW and around 1160Nm, even though the G580 weighs in at around three tonnes, you’re talking 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. And this car gets up and goes… like a beast.

What you don’t get is that traditional Merc-AMG G63 V8 rumble, because, of course, no engine. 

But you do get what Mercedes calls ‘G-Roar’, essentially a sound bar at the front of the car also using the audio system inside to give it what is not exactly an engine noise but some sense of the car progressing. And you can turn it off for completely silent running.

‘Electric Dynamic Select’ changes the parameters of the motors, transmission, suspension, ESP and steering as required. On-road that means ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Individual’ modes, with off-road comprising ‘Trail’ and ‘Rock’. In the Comfort setting drive flows primarily to one axle for optimum energy efficiency.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front and a De Dion-style live (rigid) axle at the rear. You’ve got the same adaptive-type set-up as per other G-Class models, so ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’ modes and of the many traditional G-Class traits this car exhibits, ride quality is one of them.

Even in Comfort you’ll find even little bumps and thumps making their way up into the seat of the pants and the cabin. It is after all a body-on-frame, ladder-chassis type vehicle and that’s not unusual.  

In terms of steering, it’s accurate and road feel is good. You’ve got 275-wide Falken Azenis FK520 tyres that are more on- than off-road focused. The car feels stable and nicely planted on the road.

The physical brakes are by ventilated discs front and rear, and the big rotors are the same size (353mm) all around. They work nicely and feel like a conventional set-up.

Regenerative braking kicks in as soon as you lift off the accelerator pedal. The powertrain is harvesting energy as the car decelerates and there are four levels you can adjust with the steering wheel paddles up to a quite aggressive level - not quite, but close to a single-pedal set-up.

Off-road, the G580’s ‘G-Steering’ system allows the wheels to turn at different speeds to induce slight ‘drift-like’ oversteer and tighten the turning circle. It works beautifully and the car’s fording depth is 850mm, a full 150mm more than internal-combustion G-Class models.

A three-speed off-road crawl function is adjustable to speeds as low as 2.0km/h, and the car is claimed to remain stable on sideways slopes up to 35 degrees. 

Torque vectoring is used to create ‘virtual diff locks’ and there’s a ‘low-range’ setting. Switch to the ‘Offroad Cockpit’ and data including gradient, lateral inclination, compass readings, tyre pressures and the selected G-Mode appear.

A ‘Transparent Bonnet’ function creates a virtual view of what’s approaching and passing under the front wheels to help the driver pick their way through steep ascents or declines.

For the record, the G580’s approach angle is 32 degrees, departure is 30.7, breakover is 20.3 and ground-clearance is 250mm.

And of course, with the wheels independently powered, the G580’s signature move is what Mercedes-Benz calls a ‘G-Turn’ but the rest of the world calls a tank turn.

If you encounter an obstacle that makes forward progress impossible, the system spins the left- and right-hand wheels in opposite directions so this brute can turn on the spot like an M1 Abrams. You can’t help but crack up laughing when executing this extreme party trick!

In terms of miscellaneous observations around ergonomics and the car in general, it has a 13.6-metre conventional turning circle. So if you’re not using the G Turn function in the car park be ready for a sizeable turning arc.

Also, those aero tweaks here and there seem to have had an effect. Wind noise, especially for such an upright, squared-off design is surprisingly modest. And overall, from a build point of view, this car feels as though it’s been carved from a solid piece of metal. In every aspect it presents as a quality item.

Although the Mercedes-AMG G63 carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety assessment from 2018, the pure-electric G580 is unrated. But crash avoidance tech includes active cruise control, ‘Active Steering Assist’, high-speed AEB, traffic sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, driver fatigue monitoring as well as a 360-degree camera view and ‘Active Parking Assist’.

And if a crash is unavoidable, there are no fewer than 11 airbags on-board, including driver and front passenger front and side, rear side, full-length curtains, driver and passenger knee and a front centre bag.

There are three top-tether points for child seats across the second row, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

The Ineos Grenadier Trialmaster Station Wagon is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

No capped price servicing is available and service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest, and total cost for the five years is $5992 for the diesel and $5832 for the petrol.

At time of writing, there are 16 approved INEOS Automotive dealerships in Australia.

If you buy a big 4WD you should expect big 4WD ownership costs, right? The Grenadier remains competitive with its rivals in this space.

The G580 is covered by Mercedes-Benz Australia’s five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which remains the standard offering in the premium part of the market and an eight-year/160,000km drive battery warranty.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km with service plan pricing available over three ($2645), four ($3980) and five ($4670) years. In approximate terms, each workshop visit will cost ‘around’ $900. Not exactly cheap, especially for an EV, but this is no ordinary electric vehicle.