RE: 2023 INEOS Grenadier | PH Review

I see quite a lot of these in Cumbria - in fact just got back from a survey now and there was a 'duck egg blue' one leaving a local school - it looked rather good

There's a dealer in Carlisle and one in Gateshead (Aston Workshop) so perhaps that's why or maybe folk in the SE just like a bit more bling for the school run?

I guess cheap, well built and reliable will be enough for many of the customers. Although a poor ride is a big criticism of many pickups, certainly the ones I've driven.

You’d hope so, or there’ll be a lot of people twiddling their thumbs in that big factory.

Some around in the Ribble Valley and imho looking good…not in a superficial cosmetic sense, as you suggest with the school run comment, they just look rugged and purposeful. If you examine the chassis it looks like industrial strength!

They have a similar picture as the UK, on Autoscout that covers the whole of Europe, 90 of the 94 Grenadiers have under 500km on the clock and a very large proportion are what you would call "delivery mileage".
2024 is going to be a challenging sales period as you have alot of choice available for a car sitting on someone's lot over the next 6 months, who would be open to negotiation instead of ordering your own.

They have started selling them in Australia and NZ, but as pointed out by the youtube review they are a bit out classed by the competition. You are aiming at a very Anglophile buyer. As they don't comply with any of the fleet safety rules so are aiming at just a recreational buyer.

South Africa has just opened 3 days ago who have a strong BMW following. But also the same challenges as Aussie they still sell a Toyota Land cruiser, Nissan Patrol and other American 4x4s.
I don't know what is happening with the Habbibi's in the middle East but they are not looking for ye olde Landis.

I think they are going to have a Lotus in America type of sales, an outsider in Finance options. Those who want one, buys the flavour they want. But after that its single digets per month as the ability to have a red chassis with a Black cab is not a good used market vehicle. Look at SUVs with a "one off" interior or colours to understand truly epic levels of depreciation.

The Christian Louboutin look. How very utilitarian.

The couple in the gastro pub this evening ( Anthracite Grenadier outside, not new but totally immaculate) were not Louboutin. He was vaguely ‘outdoorsy’ ie posh jeans, Clark’s Gortex small boots, non logo type wool sweater; she, a white sweater and a smart longish skirt.Not at all ‘designer’.

It is quite an interesting set up. A diff lever from a sex shop, a gear lever from a mobility shop and a handbrake lever from a cigar shop.

It's like a group of old men sat in a pub and jotted down the things old men like them liked. And one had bought his son along who chimed in that roof switches like you see in Vietnam films or Top Gun were cool. Meanwhile, the chap who'd been on the Stella instead of the London Pride kept banging on about 80s car interior plastics so much they put that on the list just to get him to shut up for five minutes. And the old tramp in the corner was shouting about cyclist scum which gave them the idea of a red button on the steering wheel to instruct those terrible people to get out of the way.

It's all a bit of a dog's dinner but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing, especially for this sort of quirky fun purchase. It's eccentric, non generic and adds character which over time helps form that bedrock of consumer support. If we consider most of the old cars that we love it tends to be their flaws that make them so perfect.

This 9000km aussie bloke seems to give some owner perspective.
Basically there is no storage inside the 4x4 other than the arm rest. No electrical outlets or ability to add more.
The reverse camera screen is poor.
There is no manual or wiring diagram.
Towing and electrics are thru a NATO plug and this is on the same circuit as the winch, so if you have a caravan that has a fridge its a mess.

Corrosion on Chinese made side steps after 5k.

He does seem to love it despite all its issues.