Britain’s Modern, Rugged Land Rover Defender Rival Is Finally Reaching Its Full Potential

When Land Rover finally discontinued the Defender classic in 2016, it marked the end of 67 years of continuous production. As impressive as the feat was, the 4×4’s most devoted fans weren’t ready to see it go.

At the time, Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe even attempted to buy the tooling from JLR to ensure that the Defender’s legacy would continue. Failing to reach a deal, he proceeded to come out with his own modern successor in the form of the Ineos Grenadier.

Ineos

Between its classic boxy shape, rugged construction and go-anywhere capability, the Ineos is a vehicle that embodies adventure. Now, it’s finally reaching its full potential as a chop-top safari rig.

Game for adventure

It’s called the Game Viewer, and it delivers on a concept first envisioned back in 2022. Ineos sees this version of the Grenadier as a solution for everything from ranches in the United States to luxury safari lodges across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ineos

As such, rather than selling the Game Viewer as a ready-to-go offering, Ineos will instead be catering the vehicle according to its customers needs. For this reason, safari-bound Grenadiers will be shipped in a partial-build state — without paint, tailgates, trim or side glazing — to allow for further customization by the brand’s Kavango branch.

However, it’s worth noting that Ineos didn’t need to modify much in the case of the pictured prototype. Apart from obvious changes, like the addition of riser-style seating for up to nine, a fold-down windscreen and a roll-back canvas roof, the Grenadier SUV just needed a slight suspension lift and some relocated switchgear.

Ineos

In practice, this means that Ineos is offering the Game Viewer with a factory-backed warranty, which makes for a unique proposition considering that such vehicles are typically aftermarket affairs.

Acquired safari expertise

With a tough ladder-frame chassis, a dependable BMW B58 straight-six and a five-link suspension setup, there’s no denying that the Grenadier has a lot going for it as a safari rig. But what’s to say that Ineos is equipped to handle this kind of project?

Ineos

Thankfully, the brand isn’t going it alone. Back in 2023, Ineos acquired Kavango Engineering, a Botswana-based outfit specializing in mutli-seat safari conversions not unlike the Grenadier Game Viewer.

In fact, before becoming a part of the Ineos family, Kavango Engineering regularly turned the vehicle’s inspiration (and competition) — the Land Rover Defender and the Toyota Land Cruiser — into such open-top rigs. By drawing on that expertise, Ineos is authenticating the Grenadier as something more than a high-riding luxury pavement pounder.

Ineos

Moreover, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s original inspiration for a modern Defender replacement supposedly came while on safari in Botswana nearly a decade ago. The fact that the realization of that idea — the Grenadier — is now capable of catering to such exploits itself is nothing if not poetic.

Ineos

Production imminent

At this stage, Ineos has yet to announce pricing for the Game Viewer. However, given that the base Grenadier Station Wagon starts at $75,100, extensive modifications could add quite a bit more to that figure.

In any case, production is expected to start in 2026, and Kavango is projected to be capable of completing as many as 200 conversions annually.

Ineos

Ineos Grenadier Game Viewer

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