Raleigh, N.C. — In the flurry of automotive companies bringing jobs to North Carolina, one may have slipped under your radar.
INEOS brought its U.S. Headquarters to Raleigh in late 2021. The company brought a prototype of their flagship vehicle to the capital city, a rugged SUV competing in an already crowded field.
The 4-by-4 newcomer to the adventure driving experience was the dream of Monaco-based British billionaire.
“Our owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe back in 2017 had a very clear understanding that he could not find a vehicle that he wanted to buy. It just didn’t exist in the market place,” said Greg Clark, executive vice president of INEOS Automotive in North America.
Clark invited guests to a special viewing of an early prototype of their Grenadier vehicle. He said they chose Raleigh for strong commercial reasons like “Diversity, industry, economic stability, and because of that diversity, a heavy focus on tech.” He added, ” North Carolina always punches way above its weight in terms of the sale of 4X4 and off-road vehicles like this.”
Clark says they also want to be close to their customer base.
“We want to be closer to places where you can actually go out and use the Grenadier for its original purposes,” he said.
The Grenadier will compete with the likes of the new Ford Bronco, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Mercedes G Wagon.
“But the construction is more substantial. The vehicle is slightly larger, so it provides more space,” Clark said.
This day, interested buyers and reservation holders came to see it for themselves. The company has taken more than 5,000 reservations for the Grenadier in both the U.S. and Canada. Worldwide, they have a total of 15,000 reservations for the vehicle.
Clark says INEOS will partner with established automotive groups with an excellent reputation for customer service in their communities.
He expects the vehicle to appeal to customers who appreciate its flexibility.
“The Grenadier is an option for people that either want something which is extremely capable off-road or something that you can live with on a day to day basis. you can have both sides of the coin,” Clark said.
The projected cost of the Grenadier is about $50,000. The company plans to launch their North American commercial operation sometime in the Summer of 2023.
INEOS is best known as the third largest chemical company in the world.
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