Is the Ineos Fusilier an off-roader that “consumers want to drive”?

Ineos Automotive is now on its third model line. Hot on the heels of the Grenadier, the Fusilier is its little sister and, just like many younger siblings, seems to get away with more and get more. One upping the Grenadier, the Fusilier comes with a choice of two powertrains, but more on that later.  

Let’s start with the looks. “The Fusilier is a great looking vehicle,” states Ineos Automotive Chairman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. (Yes, that same Ratcliffe who's a Manchester United shareholder and formed the chemical company Ineos.)  We can’t fault him there: the Fusilier is nice looking – and available in a rainbow of sensible colours; Shale Blue, Stirling Silver, Donny Grey and Inky Black to name a few.   

Starting from the back, the Fusilier lives up to its military name with a practical split rear door to allow easy access to the cargo area. The rear-view screams Land Rover Defender in design. Not surprising given Ratcliffe’s passion-fuelled but unsuccessful bid to buy the old Defender production line. 

From the front, we’re seeing G Wagon, almost a given since the Fusilier has been developed with Magna, who handcraft the G-Wagon in Austria. It’s there the nearly 45-year-old model class proves its muster and off-road capability – as Jonny Smith, The Late Brake Show host, showed when putting the Mercedes G63 and G500 through their paces.   

Through and through, the Fusilier is built on the same lines of the hard grafting and practical Grenadier, although slightly shorter in length and height, right down to the BF Goodrich tyres. Indeed, we suspect the inside will look very similar when interior shots are finally released. All in all, the Fusilier is the Grenadier in lifestyle version, but when it comes to performance, it’s got a little surprise up its sleeve.  

“In order to move towards decarbonisation but continue making cars that consumers want to drive, we need a mix of powertrain technologies," shares Ratcliffe. In real terms, that means the Fusilier will offer a regular electric powertrain and a second option with a range-extender. 

A range extender is a small petrol engine that works as back up, to power a generator to keep the battery running when there’s no access to a regular electrical charging point – like in the middle of a mountain range or driving down a dry riverbed.  

Ineos Automotive seems to be working hard to get the most out of the Fusilier’s battery as possible. The front end of the vehicle is fitted with active grille shutters that can be opened to cool the powertrains or closed to maximise range. How well does that work? We don’t know yet as an official WLTP figure hasn't been released. However, given Ineos Automotive’s “commitment to future decarbonisation”, we presume it'll be supplying a figure that allows the brand to hold its head high.  

The asking price is also still up to guess work, but we can safely say it should be less than its big sister, the Grenadier, which sits at £80,000. As the first sales start in Autumn, we doubt we’ll have to wait long for these final figures. The only questions remaining are, would you choose a Fusilier over a Grenadier? Or would you rather hunt down an old Land Rover Defender? 

Hero image credit: Ineos Automotive