INEOS launches search for a site to build its new uncompromising 4x4

Projekt Grenadier – the code name given to INEOS’ new 4x4 car venture – is moving into top gear with the company now seeking a production site for the vehicle.

Whilst the UK remains INEOS’s favoured location, the company has received a number of offers from European sites keen to build the off-roader.

INEOS is planning to invest many hundreds of millions of pounds producing the world’s most uncompromising 4x4.

“The search for the site is the latest step in this fantastically exciting project,” says Dirk Heilmann, CEO of INEOS Automotive. “Our plans for the vehicle are well advanced and the time has come to decide where we are going to build it.”

INEOS Automotive has today announced that it has started a search for a site on which to build its new off-roader. Whilst the UK remains its preferred location, the company has received a number of offers from European sites anxious to build the new 4x4.

INEOS is looking for a site capable of producing at least 25,000 vehicles a year to an extremely high standard. The company is willing to consider green field sites, former car plants and even existing production lines that can be re-configured for the new vehicle. The range of options under consideration includes sites in both the UK and on the continent.

Tom Crotty, INEOS Director of Corporate Affairs, said: “We’ve already had high level discussions with the UK government as well as a lot of international interest. Whilst we would love this to be a British vehicle, this is a business venture and our hearts cannot be allowed to rule our heads.”

INEOS intends to invest many hundreds of millions of pounds in Projekt Grenadier – the code name for the venture – and aims to build the world’s most uncompromising 4x4 vehicle.

The project is the brainchild of INEOS Chairman, Jim Ratcliffe, who was a fan of the original Land Rover Defender. When it ceased production, Jim saw a gap in the market for an uncompromising off-roader that stands for adventure and active driving but also has the capability to be a work and utility machine.

The INEOS 4x4 will not be a replica of the Defender but will reflect its philosophy as well as offering a step change in terms of build quality and reliability. The target market is global and includes agriculture and forestry workers, explorers and adventurers as well as traditional Defender fans who simply enjoy an authentic 4x4 driving experience. INEOS is determined that its new vehicle will offer a real and pure alternative to the current crop of standardised ‘jelly-mould’ SUVs.

Dirk Heilmann, CEO of INEOS Automotive, added: “The fact that we have launched a search for the site shows that Projekt Grenadier is moving into top gear and we are getting ready to go from the drawing board to the production line.”