There’s no room for excuses in the off-road world, a segment meant to put vehicles through the most dramatic situations. So explained George Ratcliffe, commercial director for startup automaker Ineos and son of its billionaire founder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. During our conversation, the younger Ratcliffe sat next to us as we fact-checked the claimed ground clearance of the new Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster on the side of a rock the size of a Renault Twingo. Yup, that sounded like 10.4 inches. For hours we crawled through sand and rock near California’s Joshua Tree National Park and suffered not so much as a “check engine” light. For Ineos—one of the largest chemical companies in the world but a relative newcomer to vehicle production—the Quartermaster is an important sequel to the Grenadier SUV in the brand’s budding lineup. Ineos said in October 2023 that it had more than 7000 orders for the Grenadier SUV that this pickup is based on. The company even introduced a bespoke building service called Arcane Works for customers who wish to bedazzle their Grenadier. Now it’s shifting from filling preorders to actively selling vehicles via brick-and-mortar dealerships—of which it has 18 here in the United States. Despite America’s love affair with pickup trucks, Ineos doesn’t expect the Quartermaster to outsell the SUV, although we prefer the pickup in all but looks.
The Quartermaster represents the flags of many nations. The British-owned Ineos engineered the vehicle with help from Austria’s Magna Steyr, which builds the Mercedes-Benz G-class (and, previously, the mighty Pinzgauer military ute of the Swiss Army). The company was unsuccessful in getting politicians in the U.K. to subsidize a manufacturing plant near home, but then lucked into a thoroughly updated Mercedes-Benz plant complete with 1300 employees near the French-German border in Hambach, France. The Quartermaster is sold in the U.S. with a BMW-sourced gas engine and an eight-speed ZF transmission exclusively. The front and rear live axles with 4.10:1 gears are built by a famous Italian tractor company—Carraro, not Lamborghini—and the driveshafts are from Dana. The two-speed transfer case with a 2.5:1 low-range ratio is a Tremec unit, and the available front and rear electronically locking differentials are made by Eaton.
There’s only about 32 inches of tire under the Quartermaster, whether you choose the 17- or 18-inch steel or aluminum wheel options. Both the Bridgestone Dueler A/T footwear and the more aggressive BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A K02 tires wear the three-peak mountain snowflake rating and come in 265/70R-17 or 255/70R-18 sizes. Current Grenadier SUV owners have wasted no time fitting 35-inch rubber to their trucks, but doing so requires an aftermarket 2.5-inch suspension lift from Eibach.
Slowing this pickup down are front twin-piston Brembo calipers that clamp 12.4-inch vented rotors, while smaller one-piston calipers squeeze 12.0-inch solid discs in the rear. There’s a mechanical handbrake lever located on the driver’s side of the center console, rather than an electronic switch or foot pedal. The words “Powered by BMW” are proudly displayed atop the hood, as all Grenadiers use a detuned version of the turbocharged B58 inline-six. It’s good for 281 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The stout powerplant isn’t enough to make the approximately 5900-pound Quartermaster accelerate like a sand cat, but it’s as smooth as honey. Ineos claims the truck can reach 62 mph in 8.8 seconds, which is slower than a Ford Maverick hybrid. However, the Grenadier isn’t about winning races; nor is it meant to be all that economical. At a claimed 14 mpg combined, the Quartermaster—at least for now—lives under the less strict rules of a small-volume manufacturer. (Ineos likely will be pushed into a stricter regulatory sphere for 2027 with the arrival of the upcoming Fusilier that’s rumored to either be a hybrid or EV.)
The Quartermaster’s peak horsepower and torque come on at 4750 and 1750 rpm, respectively. And yet skillful throttle mapping helps this thing really shine in low-speed crawling off-road. Smooth tip-in also pays dividends in nose-to-butt city traffic, where prodding the throttle doesn’t upset this mule.
There are two drive settings, activated via buttons on an overhead panel. Off-Road mode disables parking sensors, the seatbelt chime, and the engine stop-start system. It’s perfectly handy for parts of a trail that may require you to quickly hop in and out of the driver’s seat to check the terrain.
There’s also a Wading mode, although we had no use for that one in the desert. It will disable the electric fans (within a specific range of coolant temperatures), limit speed to 18 mph, and disable the heated seats (if so equipped). The wading depth of both Grenadiers is 31.5 inches, and that doesn’t change if the vehicle is equipped with the badass-looking raised air intake. That’s because a raised air intake and a snorkel aren’t the same; the raised intake is designed keep dust out of the intake, whereas only a snorkel can provide safety from water. There are times when the Quartermaster, which is 21.4 inches longer than the SUV and rides on a foot-longer wheelbase, rides smoothly. But on rippled or washboard dirt roads, the truck’s ride can become downright harsh. This is one area where the Grenadier suffers with its use of simple coil springs rather than more sophisticated air springs. Whereas most modern vehicles use rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assist, the Grenadier goes old school with a hydraulically assisted recirculating-ball setup, similar to Jeep’s Wrangler and Gladiator models. In the Grenadier, the steering feels as communicative as a rudder. It doesn’t respond quickly to inputs, and although the use of a heavy-duty steering box with a mechanical worm gear has its advantages out in the bush, it requires constant correction in more common scenarios such as highway and street driving.
The cockpit experience is supremely rad. The high-quality materials match the clicky knobs and switches. The ceiling-mounted panel looks like something out of an airplane cockpit. It’s one of many elements inside the Grenadier that could convince someone they’re driving a vehicle from a longstanding automaker. The cheapest feeling piece in the whole kit is the keyed ignition, which says a lot in the era of plastic and 3D-printed everything.
Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and all of the driving info appears on the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen at the center of the dashboard. The tiny display behind the steering wheel is mostly there for idiot lights or to remind you of what transfer-case gearing you’ve selected. Sadly, there is no wireless smartphone charging, and the center console and glovebox are stingy on space.
There’s a red “Toot” button on the steering wheel for a horn with a softer honk to bring attention rather than to startle anyone, particularly cyclists. Inside, occupants won’t need to scream at each other to communicate. Even while equipped with the removable Safari windows, it’s a peaceful cabin.
The Quartermaster’s fit and finish is spectacular. The heavy doors make a wonderfully deep thud when closed. Every knob and dial ticks like an expensive wristwatch. There is a maze of heat shields beneath the chassis, and even though we spent two days driving in the 105-degree desert, the air conditioning never faded, and the center console didn’t boil our beverages. Utility is rarely so beautiful, and frankly this level of craftsmanship is simply uncommon, especially from a startup. Where are the rattling door panels and taillight housings flooded with rainwater?
Every Quartermaster comes with a four-door cab and a 5.1-foot bed, and the view out the back is one big reason we prefer this truck over the SUV. The SUV’s 30/70-split tailgate, rear tire carrier, and ladder block a ton of real estate in the rear mirror. The truck bed can accept a full-size spare on either side, rather than center mounted and blocking the glass as in the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and GMC Canyon AT4X. The Ineos also has a higher payload capacity than those two at 1840 pounds. The Quartermaster is begging to be fitted with every off-road accessory in the order book, and Ineos offers a 12,125-pound RED winch, rock sliders, a roof rack, and jerrycan and hi-lift jack mounts, just to name a few.
Unfortunately for U.S. buyers, the 1960s tariff on light trucks, commonly known as the “Chicken Tax,” penalizes the imported Quartermaster’s pricing by 25 percent. At $88,500 to start, the pickup represents a $15,400 upcharge over the SUV. Two fancier trim levels, Trialmaster and Fieldmaster, are available, both for $96,500. The Trialmaster comes with front and rear locking diffs, while the Fieldmaster is only equipped with the standard center-locker. The Fieldmaster does get leather upholstery and heated front seats, as well as those Safari windows. These prices are far above the most extreme and expensive version of any other mid-size pickup in the market. But if the German powertrain and Italian axles weren’t enough of a hint, this rig isn’t intended to be a mainstream offering. Judging by the intense eyeballing the Quartermaster received from drivers of Jeep Wranglers and Toyota 4Runners—as well as from people on foot—this truck has big appeal. Ineos, while sampling the design of old Land Rover Defenders, has built an attractive truck with solid bones. We can see this being just the thing for enthusiasts who have grown tired of the usual pickup truck choices. SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster
Vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE
Base: Quartermaster, $88,500; Trialmaster Edition, $96,500; Fieldmaster Edition, $96,500
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2998 cm3
Power: 281 hp @ 4750 rpm
Torque: 332 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 127.0 in
Length: 212.6 in
Width: 76.5 in
Height: 79.5 in
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5900–6000 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 8.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.7 sec
Top Speed: 99 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 14/14/14 mpgAustin Irwin has worked for Car and Driver for over 10 years in various roles. He’s steadily worked his way from an entry-level data entry position into driving vehicles for photography and video, and is now reviewing and testing cars. What will he do next? Who knows, but he better be fast.
