If you're into powersports, you likely have a pickup or an SUV, as without them, you're up a creek. You need something that can tow a trailer or haul stuff in a bed. And while there are plenty of them out there, the modern age of compact utility vehicles and smaller pickups are often left wanting for more, incapable of doing what you or I need them to do when it comes to engaging in the powersports industry.
One upstart company, one I've been paying attention for a while now, is Ineos, and the company seems to be building what I would consider the perfect SUV and truck for the powersports fan.
The reason I'm bringing them up now, however, is that the company just released its Q1 sales figures, which are more optimistic than they have been. I've been sort of waiting to see if they survive, as even though they're backed by an oil tycoon, and everyone's raved about the offerings, there's still an air of, "They gonna make it?"
But it seems as if Ineos will, so I'll take the opportunity of the sales data to introduce the trucks, and why I think they could be the perfect powersport accessory.
Ineos began life in the most petty way possible, as Sir James Arthur Ratcliffe, CEO and founder of Ineos, a petrochemical powerhouse, asked Jaguar Land Rover if he could buy the original tooling for the Land Rover Defender after the company ceased making it. He loved the old trucks and SUVs, and hoped he could continue building them in perpetuity with the blessing of the company. JLR told him to get lost, so Ratcliffe decided to build it himself and do one better than JLR could ever hope to.
The end result was the Ineos Grenadier SUV and the Ineos Quartermaster pickup. You can see the familial resemblance to those old, beloved machines, though. But unlike the Defenders, which were built on a Tuesday by some bloke named Paul, and then kicked together by another guy named Steven, the Ineos machines are designed to actually work every day, and work every day whether you're going to the market or crossing the spine of Africa, i.e., they're rugged as hell.
Powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged BMW-sourced six-cylinder engine, the Grenadier and Quartermaster are both built by Magna Steyr, the same folks behind the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and the dope rifle you likely used in one of the Call of Duty games. It features a steel ladder frame, chunky off-road tires, solid axles, long-travel suspension, locking differentials, beefy transfer cases, and a cockpit that gives "AC-130 Spectre" compared to the modern digital dash of SUVs—it's all toggle switches and buttons.
Moreover, both the Grenadier and Quartermaster can tow up to nearly 8,000 pounds, and the Quartermaster's bed is rated at nearly 2,000 pounds. More than enough to tow a UTV or set of snowmobiles, or toss a few dirt bikes into the bed. You can also get winches, external lights, a snorkel, and about a million other off-road parts to increase the truck and SUVs' capabilities, which just allows you to get further into the backcountry when it comes time to tow or haul your stuff into it. Again, these vehicles just scream "Perfect Powersport Delivery Method."
But perfection does come at a price, and it's steep. The Grenadier starts at $71,000, and the Quartermaster at $84,400. Even with today's insane car market where everyone's paying upwards of $800 a month on new car loans, the Ineos' aren't cheap. But for the folks who are already buying Ford F-250s or Chevrolet Silverado AT4s, it's pretty apples to apples. And, with the sales increase as of late, along with more folks wanting off-road and adventure-capable machines, Ineos is primed at sticking around for the long haul, so there's less concern over whether or not they'll die.
Plus, I mean, just look at them. They're cool as hell looking.
