Ineos Grenadier vs Toyota Land Cruiser

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.

The i-Force Max hybrid set-up is aimed at improving performance rather than fuel efficiency, but its effectiveness in that respect is hard to fathom.

Increases in power and torque are welcome, of course, but the 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel Cruiser is just as good as the hybrid off-road and with a bigger fuel tank and greater driving range.

The hybrid LandCruiser will certainly appeal to some buyers, but the lion’s share of those interested in the 300 Series are looking to tow big loads and go long distances in comfort, which is why the diesel Cruiser at this stage is the better pick of the two powertrains.

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.

Nothing of note has changed onboard the Cruiser and the GR Sport variants are all the same, inside and out, no matter which powertrain you opt for.

And that’s fine because this is a good-looking rooster.

The GR Sport is listed as 4995mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1990mm wide and 1955mm high. It has a kerb weight of 2620kg.

This 300 Series looks much the same as it did at launch in 2021: big, chunky, imposing – like me if I was wearing high heels.

As a point of difference to other Cruisers, though, all GR Sports have variant-specific badging on the grille, front doors and rear tailgate.

Inside, it’s pretty much the same story which is borne out in how comfortable and practical it remains.

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.

The LandCruiser’s cabin is a functional and comfortable space, and – no matter the spec level – it always has a sense of familiarity about it.

All seats in the GR Sport are leather-accented and comfortable and there are soft-touch surfaces throughout the interior.

The driver gets a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel and both occupants up front cop ventilated and heated, power-adjustable seats (with memory functions for the driver).

The GR Sport’s 12.3-inch colour touchscreen is easy to use, with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s a wireless charging pad near the shifter.

Physical buttons and dials make operational life in the Cruiser much easier than if all functions were adjusted via on-screen controls, as is the case in some new vehicles.

There are USB and USB-C charging points up front.

There’s a cool box in the centre console and its lid can be opened from either side, so driver or passenger can access whatever is chilling within.

There’s also a powered sunroof if you’re that way inclined.

Beyond those features, there are the usual storage spaces, cupholders, receptacles in the doors for bigger bottles and other spaces for your bits and pieces.

The second-row seats are in a 40/20/40 split-folding configuration.

The GR Sport’s cargo space, when all five seats are in use, is a listed 910 litres behind the second row, somewhat impacted by the underfloor presence of the hybrid battery. That cargo area grows to 1842 litres when the second row is stowed away.

The rear cargo area of the hybrid has a 200V/1500W inverter, four tie-down points and of course, there's a full-size spare.

All in all, the Cruiser has the goods when it comes to practicality.

The five-seat Toyota LandCruiser 300 GR (Gazoo Racing) Sport Hybrid sits near the top of the 300 Series line-up and as such has a price-tag of $155,990, before on-road costs.

It's worth noting the GR Sport is also available with a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine at $147,090, before on-roads.

Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, a 14-speaker JBL audio system, as well as leather-accented seats, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels and more.

The i-Force Max hybrid set-up is the big attraction in this package and, largely because of that new powertrain, Cruiser buyers have to cop a heftier price – just under $9000 – over the diesel variants.

As the highest off-road grade in the Cruiser line-up, the GR Sport is kitted out with front, centre and rear diff locks, E-KDSS (essentially an electronic active swaybar), and the long-time bolted-on LandCruiser 4WD heritage.

Exterior paint options include the no-cost Glacier White or Ebony, or choose from Crystal Pearl, Arctic White, Graphite, Eclipse Black or Merlot Red, each of which costs $710.

Rivals such as the Nissan Patrol Warrior (priced from around the $110,000 mark) or Land Rover Defender (from $102,000) offer similar levels of standard features, but something like the Denza B8 plug-in hybrid (kicking off from around the $91,000 mark) has a packed standard features list for much less cash.

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 big news here is the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain consisting of a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, an electric motor and a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota reckons the “purpose‑built 1‑Motor Hybrid system” is designed for towing, off‑roading and heavy‑duty performance and that the additional electric motor “enhances power and responsiveness (compared with an equivalent diesel-only model), working seamlessly alongside the internal combustion engine”.

In general driving, it’s difficult, nigh on impossible, to discern the positive impact, if any, of the i-Force Max. But the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine alone is impressive.

There’s no denying this Cruiser now benefits from a substantial increase in power (up 114kW to 341kW combined peak output) and torque (up 90Nm to 790Nm combined peak output) over the diesel Cruiser.

The Dakar Rally-inspired LC300 GR Sport’s 10-speed torque converter auto cleverly handles open-road driving and high- and low-range 4WDing, micro-managing power and torque to maintain a level-headed but involved driving experience.

The GR Sport has full-time, dual-range 4WD, a well-calibrated off-road traction control system, as well as front, rear and centre diff locks, so it’s almost unstoppable.

In this realm, the Cruiser holds its own against the likes of Nissan Patrol Warrior and Land Rover Defender.

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.

Official fuel consumption is 10.0L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

Our fuel consumption on this test was 13.6L/100km, which is substantially more than the claimed figure, but testing did, of course, include high- and low-range 4WDing.

This hybrid Cruiser has a 98-litre fuel tank (the diesel holds 110 litres) so, going by those fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 720km out of a full tank.

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.

Steering, now electric, is light but precise and this 4WD wagon feels highly manoeuvrable; with a turning circle of 11.8m it's quite nimble.

The new hybrid set-up is aimed at performance rather than fuel efficiency and as before the Cruiser remains a comfortable open-road cruiser, smoothly tapping into oodles of power and torque when required, all managed smoothly through the 10-speed auto.

This Cruiser’s on-road ride and handling are composed but it is soft rather than dynamic. Its suspension – double wishbone, independent at the front and live axle and multi-links at the rear with coils all-around – soaks up most irregularities in any road surface.

Its ventilated disc brakes front and rear brought the big Cruiser to a controlled stop during our emergency-braking scenarios on test.

When it comes to off-roading, this LandCruiser benefits from handy 4WD gear some other Cruiser grades miss out on, namely Toyota’s swaybar-disconnect equivalent E-KDSS (electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System), front and rear differential locks, and adaptive variable suspension.

The E-KDSS set-up acts like an electronic active swaybar, adjusting tension on the front and rear sway bars to suit the terrain and driving conditions.

While it’s a high-value addition on-road – tightening them for better body control at higher speeds on sealed surfaces – it gives the vehicle a lot more flexibility in terms of wheel articulation off-road, offering full stretch on the axles when tackling off-road scenarios.

This hybrid 300 Series tackled all obstacles at our unofficial testing and proving ground without any strife; its top-tier power and torque levels are consistently delivered across a broad rev range and that 10-speed auto is never caught out, scrambling through ratios to find the sweet spot.

High- and low-range gearing are solid in the 300 Series, and the suite of driver assist tech, aimed at making off-road driving easier and safer, is comprehensive: the traction control system has been further fine-tuned over previous versions, and is now even more precise in application.

The 300’s multi-terrain select system gives you the option of cycling through driving modes – for example, Sand, Snow, Mud, Rocks and Dirt – to suit the terrain. When engaged, the modes adjust vehicle systems, throttle, engine output etc to best suit the conditions, driving style and terrain.

Off-road measurements and angles are on point for a large 4WD wagon. Ground clearance is 245mm, wading depth is 700mm, and approach, ramp-over and departure angles are 32, 25 and 25 degrees, respectively.

Besides that, whether it’s being able to access 790Nm of useable torque across a broad rev range, or relying on the LC300’s well-calibrated traction control, or if you are engaging front, rear and centre diff locks, this Cruiser is an almost unstoppable off-roader in the right hands.

Even without the diff locks engaged, this 300 conquers every obstacle you drive it at, through and over.

If you plan to use this 4WD wagon for anything more difficult than dry-track 4WDing in good weather then get more aggressive all-terrain tyres to replace the standard Bridgestone Dueler all-terrains (265/65 R18).

The GR Sport’s full-size spare is mounted to the underbody but it doesn’t impact running clearance.

The 300 Series can legally tow 750kg unbraked, and 3500kg braked.

Here, the Cruiser remains true to its old-school spirit – albeit with a tech edge – in the same way the Nissan Patrol Warrior does, while something like the Land Rover Defender is more spaceship than scrub explorer.

All of the 300 Series line-up, except the GR Sport, have the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in January 2022.

Safety gear includes 10 airbags, two ISOFIX anchor points, as well as AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, active cruise control (all-speed), lane departure alert (with brake to steer), road sign assist (speed signs only), trailer sway control and more.

Off-road driver-assist tech includes crawl control, downhill assist, hill-start assist, multi-terrain select, multi-terrain monitor with panoramic view and active traction control.

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 hybrid Cruiser is covered by Toyota’s five year/unlimited km warranty.

Servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 20,000km (whichever occurs soonest) and costs are, at time of writing, $450 per appointment for the first five years or 100,000km (whichever occurs first).

Toyota Australia has more than 300 authorised service centres around the country.