The 2026 Ineos Grenadier is the greatest new overlanding vehicle in the world. It’s not the greatest off-road vehicle (its size and limited stock articulation/ground clearance hurt it on the rocks, and its heft and solid front axle hurt it in the dunes), but as an overlanding platform, it is simply sensational, with a stout ladder frame, solid axles you’d expect to find on a tractor, kingpin steering, skid plates, locking differentials, and on and on. The thing is a beast, and I have lauded it as the unstoppable old-school off-roader that everyone has dreamed would make a comeback. My biggest criticism, though, has been its steering, which requires drivers to put lots of force into straightening the wheel after a turn. Well, Ineos just addressed that in the 2026 model, and now my biggest criticism is a tie between the steering and a new annoying electronic nanny.
I have to keep this review brief because I’m in the middle of rebuilding my WWII Jeep’s transfer case ahead of the Easter Jeep Safari, but the short of it is: Ineos invited me to Malibu to try out the 2026 Grenadier, whose major updates include “a new steering box [that] features a variable ratio for the first time…upgraded climate control components to improve the
performance and predictability of heating and cooling within the cabin,..[and] advanced safety systems (ADAS) [that] have been upgraded where required to meet the latest
regulations.” What I found, in the time I wasn’t shoving free lunch down my gullet but actually driving the vehicle, was that the 2026 Grenadier took a step forward and a step backwards.
The new steering is better, but still disappointing.
Ineos will talk to you about how bad steering is just a byproduct of an off-road vehicle with a solid axle design, but this just isn’t true. I daily-drive a 1991 Jeep Wrangler YJ and a 1992 Jeep Comanche; I have owned multiple Jeep Grand Wagoneer SJs, multiple ZJ Grand Cherokees, multiple XJ Cherokees, a Jeep J10, and on and on. All of these vehicles are equipped with solid front axles, and every single one of them has better steering than the Ineos Grenadier — both the 2025 model and maybe even this new 2026.
To be sure, the 2026 seems like an improvement. With the new variable-rate steering box with an updated worm gear, the middle 45 degrees in either direction (quarter turn) of steering is quicker. The result is that the highway drive seems to require less steering input to keep the car pointed straight, which leads to less wandering.
But the highway drive was never my biggest complaint with the Grenadier, it was the poor steering self-centering. When you take a sharp, 90-degree turn, you used to have to hack away at the steering wheel to undo your steering input in order to avoid ramming into the curb on the right side of the road (or left, if you’re in the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malta, etc.). That problem still exists on the 2026, though it doesn’t seem as pronounced as it did before, likely a result of of changes to the power steering assist (if I understand correctly, it now reduces assist during sharp turns) and to that steering ratio (which requires fewer steering wheel turns to straighten the tires back out).
If I had to guess, this persistent steering-centering issue is a byproduct of the steering’s fundamental design.
Typically, a vehicle’s tendency to naturally correct its steering is a function of caster. Caster is the reason why the “caster wheels” on your shopping cart will line up with the direction of travel, and why you don’t have to bend down and steer those wheels to go where you want to. On a solid axle, caster is actually set by the shape of the axle housing itself. Specifically, what matters is the location of the kingpins/ball joints, as the upper and lower create the steering axis about which the knuckle/tire turns when you move the steering wheel.
To provide caster needed for good aligning/centering torque, the upper kingpin/ball joint is usually located aft of the lower, as you can see in the TJ ProRock 44 solid axle above. This creates the “leaned back” steering axis which gives good caster.
The Ineos Grenadier was developed y some really smart engineers who know far more about steering caster and kingpin inclination than I do, so I’m just guessing here. But it does seem to me that the lack of self-aligning torque is likely something fundamental to the axle design, or else Ineos would have done something about it.
The Grenadier’s front suspension, shown in the graphics above, borrows the five-link design pioneered by AMC on the 1984 Jeep Cherokee XJ (two upper control arms, two lowers, and a track bar). But unlike that Jeep and every solid-axle Jeep that came after it, the Ineos utilizes kingpins instead of ball joints.
For reference, here’s a look at ball joints:
And here is the closed-knuckle kingpin design on my WWII Jeep — a similar design to the Ineos’:
In case you’re curious, a ball joint looks like this. It’s just a ball in a socket, with some grease in between:
Whereas a kingpin uses roller bearings:
Those roller bearings have their outer race in the axle housing itself:
The inner race sits around a cap that bolts to the steering knuckle:
Anyway, a Redditor named naks26 has a nice photo of the Grenadier’s kingpins, and while it doesn’t show a lot of caster to my naked eye, part of me also wonders if kingpin bearings are just higher-friction than ball joints — not just because of the bearings vs the ball joint, but because of the grease wipers used to contain the lubricant in the closed knuckle design. Extra drag could contribute to the wheel not centering itself as easily when you complete a turn.
Photo of the front axle from a production vehicle
byu/naks26 inineosgrenadier
I’ve gone back and forth on whether I think Ineos made a mistake going with the closed-knuckle kingpin design, which is causing drivability issues for a very, very limited advantage for only the most hardcore of off-roaders.
If we’re being honest, ball joints are extremely tough, plus they’re cheap and easy to service. But given what this vehicle is all about — being the hardest-core off-roader there is — and given that kingpins are stronger than ball joints… I get it. If you’re going to go all-out, go all-out.
Anyway, the steering isn’t good, but it’s better, and it’s something you can get used to. One thing I’m not sure I can get used to is the new Emergency Lane Keeping system, or ELK.
Because the Grenadier does not feature electric power steering, it has no mechanism by which to nudge the steering wheel to keep the vehicle in its lane. So, for regulatory reasons, Ineos is using a lane-keeping system that clamps one of the rear brakes in order to create a moment/torque that tries to turn the vehicle. It’s terrible.
On a vehicle as tall and softly sprung as the Grenadier, having a rear brake activated when you’re not ready for it upsets the vehicle and its driver, resulting — at least in my case — in a slightly higher driving position now that I’m sitting on a steaming mound. Like I said, it’s terrible, though luckily, you can turn it off.
Do any of these criticisms — the bad steering and the bad lane-keeping system, as well as the unacceptable lack of a front-camera on a 2026 off-road vehicle and the strange lack of a disconnecting sway bar to get the most out of that axle that compromises the ride and handling — actually matter? The answer is, of course, no. No they do not. Because just look at the amazing off-road readouts and switchgear in this interior:
Look at all the room:
Look at this phenomenal BMW-sourced inline-six whose torque delivery feels like a perfect for this off-road machine:
And most importantly, look what this beast can do:
We rammed this thing into some hills, and that steel front bumper shrugged it off like a champ:
The truth is, Ineos’ biggest problem isn’t its product. The Grenadier is perfectly imperfect — a fantastic, purpose-built off-roader that gets an A+ for “performance of intended function.” It looks good, I think it’s priced right at about $71,000, and I myself would love to own one.
No, Ineos has a humongous marketing problem. Two years ago, when I took a Grenadier to Moab to propose to my now-wife, even off-road diehards were stopping me asking what the vehicle was. During the 2026 Grenadier press drive last week, while we took a break at a hotel, a couple walked up and asked us the same question.
I get that Ineos is new, but come on. How does nobody know what the heck this thing is? Ineos, for 2026, decided to put the name “Grenadier” nice and big on all of its rear-mounted spare tires to help with marketing. The brand says it’s working on other partnerships/product placement, and it did recently work with Donut Media on a cool video.
But the brand has a long way to go. And I, as a diehard off-roader, hope it gets there so it can keep making soulful, capable machines that the rest of the world has sadly given up on.
Top Photo: Author
I love the look of all those physical buttons in there.
But I am not an off-roader and it’s certainly out of my price range, anyway.
I like the idea, these are cool vehicles. Who doesn’t love the old school Defender look? Unfortunately here in San Diego the owner demographics overlap pretty hard with the average G-wagen owner. It’s all about the flash and the outdoor life cosplay because most of these things aren’t hitting anything more rugged than a parking curb.
From those images, It looks like an aftermarket sway bar disconnect for a jeep could work, the kind with the removable pins.
As a 4Runner owner who wants to see some competition in the traditional body-on-frame 4×4 SUV segment, count me as thoroughly un-enamored with the Grenadier. It’s too big, too heavy, too kitschy. It’s the only vehicle I’m aware of that has managed the smother the BMW B58 into milquetoast acceleration.
I think the reason no one knows what it is, is because it’s aping every ancient Land Rover in Africa styling cue people have seen in movies and nature shows for decades.
There is no excuse for that BMW shifter, no matter what the Ineos people say. Put a little effort into it.
I mean, if Morgan customers seem unbothered… Igneos can get away with it.
These look neat, but I can’t imagine buying one. Optioned up, these are closer to 6-figure cars. The amount of car I can get instead is overwhelmingly good.
I really hope Ineos succeeds. I think these are pretty cool vehicles and they seem to be priced competitively. No one knows what the hell they are though and if you do you’d have to be willing to take a flier on a vehicle with an unknown reliability track record and a brand that may not be around to support them going forward. I’d be interested in knowing how much off the shelf components were used, aside from the BMW engine how much can be bought and serviced if Ineos isn’t around.
I think that they are too expensive. They initially advertised a lower price (not shocking) that would be more in line with the top tier prices for Broncos, Wranglers, Land Cruisers, and 4runners. But all of those similar use products are now much cheaper.
Yeah, adding nothing but the locking diffs, heated seats and tow pack you’re at $76k. Make that about $20k cheaper and I’d seriously be looking at one for a next vehicle.
Marketing problem, indeed. I see them about once a week (we have a huge contingent of upper-class “dads”, or maybe “unks,” who are really into dressing their vehicles up for overlanding, despite a lack of overlanding opportunities here).
It’s the car for someone who wants a vintage Defender but doesn’t want to pay $70k for a kit version or a used import. They get a warranty, modern(ish) electronics, and LOTS more obscure bragging rights than the 100x more popular new Land Cruiser/Lexus GX for a pretty comparable price.
But they’ll never get over “Dude what kind of Land Rover is that?!”
Hard core off roaders have plenty of existing options with vast parts back up and knowledge already – especially the Wrangler, which also has brand image on its side. You can now import reasonably modern 2000 Defenders, which again have vest aftermarket support. And of course there’s the Bronco.
Posers have plenty of new options too, including the current Defender and G Wagen. So who exactly is the Grenadier for? It’s not gaining much traction in the UK because of whose product it is, and a cringe marketing campaign trying to bait Land Rover didn’t help.
I think that the Grenadier priced too high. I know they are trying to keep is as affordable as possible. I will someday replace my JKU and really want a Grenadier for the space and capability but If I can get a Rubicon x, Land Cruiser, 4runner trailhunter, or Bronco Sasquatch for less I will do that. If the Grenadier would be in that mix price wise, but it is not.
Whose product is it?
Some cringe billionaire’s pet project. Similar foot in mouth as what Elon did to Tesla although not as bad.
Oh. Yeah I hate that.
Yea that. I kinda dig it but at near 90k for a sweet spot one this is kinda nuts. Plus the ponderous weight. I’d get a new defender for this cash and have far more use cases, I don’t need to plow the hills with my front bumper, thanks.
I think Ineos’ marketing will continue to run into 2 main issues:
Their target customer base is obsessed with “dependability” and will not buy anything that doesn’t have half a century’s (perceived) track record.
And they’re the one legitimate maker of new Defender replicas drowning in a sea of restomod Defenders. Much like RUF now has to deal with Singer and Tuthill cramping their style, Ineos has to explain to its buyers, who (see section one) will be reluctant to believe that a BMW engine is better than an LS swap in an identical-looking car that doesn’t have to meet modern emissions regs anymore.
It’s an uphill battle, and I hope Ineos manages to pull it off, because the vehicles are decidedly cool, but I have a feeling they’ll just remain “the fake Land Rover” unless they launch aggressive marketing campaigns.
I know two guys here in Utah who own them. Neither of them were in G-wagon demographic; they were cross-shopping Land Cruisers/Lexus equivalent, and neither of them had owned Land Rover products before. Both of them spend considerable time in the desert with bikes and the like. Not hard-core offroaders, but looking for something that’ll handle moderate dirt trails in places like the San Rafael Swell or North Wash.
Are you going to have the chance to try out the new portal axle version of these any time soon? I’m curious how different it feels to you both on and off road with that setup.
I have no interest in owning one of these, but I’m glad they exist for those who want a modern replacement or alternative to an old Land Rover Defender or Mercedes G-Class.
They’re cruising the grade school pickup lane just fine in Seattle though. Not quite Rivian numbers yet, but they’re getting cheaper.
I’m sure they chose a Grenadier for the powerhouse B58/ZF8 combo. It’s a shame they don’t sell them in anything better suited to that task.
I live near a dealership and i see these on the highway but nobody in my local overlanding group know anything about them and some of these guys will spend at least the same money on 4runners, Land Cruisers and Rubicons. I had a closed knuckle Jeepster. I get the attraction but Jeep has solid axle steering down. Ineos should reverse engineer something to improve their steering.
“Jeep has solid axle steering down”
Raises single eyebrow. Do they though? I think the steering on my 80 series with nearly 400,000 miles is better than a brand new JLU personally.
They do. Jeep’s got solid axle steering dialed. (When they decide to weld the track bar bracket to the frame).
Agreed! I have no problems in my 13 year old JKU. It steers just fine.
I have no problems in my 13 year old JKU. It steers just fine.
It’s not the closed knuckle that is the problem. Land Cruisers have had closed knuckles with kingpin bearings for some time now and they are fine. The trouble is the castor and the steering geometry for certain.
My flatfenders with kingpins behave similarly to the Grenadier. I’d be interested in seeing what you think about the ’26; as someone used to nice Jeep ball-joint steering, the Grenadier still feels like it needs work.
I agree, I’ve driven my friend’s completely stock 300K 80 series several times both with and without a trailer and I think it’s steering is vastly better than either a 130K GMT400 or 240K GMT800. My only experience with a Wrangler was with a very heavily modified late 90’s model and to this date that was the worst steering I’ve ever felt, but that’s likely due to the modifications and not the vehicle itself as designed.