Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) The Grenadier

Thanks Richard.

Wednesday will tell.

Good luck Paul, you have pretty specific roles for the new vehicle to fulfill.

Hello again Paul! Between the D250 and the D300 I guess you won't feel much difference. These engines are about torque, and the D250 has already plenty of it. So, as you say, it might be the wisest option.

If you accept my suggestions, please note an option that is, in my honest opinion, mandatory: the MATRIX Led headlamps. They are impressive! A huge difference. In Spain they come with the HSE level (or some of the upgraded models). And also highly recommended the big 11,4" touchscreen.

Thanks Javier - we’ll have to see how the budget goes!

Defender D250 ordered. Quoted 6 to 9 months lead time. That’s longer (by a substantial margin) than we waited for our 4/4.

Part-ex offer was a pleasant surprise. If the price doesn’t go up by too much during the wait, we may be able to have a few more extras.

The car they had for us to drive today was a 2 litre D240 (4 cylinder) that was around 12 months old. The interior, ride and comfort was fine. The engine is a bit thrashy. It would have been in budget but I am more than happy to wait for one with the 3 litre straight 6.

That sounds like a very successful visit Paul and something nice to look forward to.

Nice news! Congratulations!

About waiting for the L6 D250, I'm sure at 100% it's worthy! You need torque to move that beast! And the 4L D240 was clearly too small to move this weight with ease.

Yes and also the smoother nature of the IL6 will make it a more fitting experience. Also a lot less stressed when doing the donkey duty so you have more reserve. I look forward to the reports on life with it.

Based on our original thread on the Grenadier http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/677686
I watched this today following the comments above. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cr05r2CYsk Harrys Garage. The review on his alternative channel Harrys Farm is equally neutral, not a good sign. In itself the car is well made and fit for purpose in nearly all cases so very impressive for a new out of the box company etc. However in a competitive market it would appear to be underwhelming.

Then there is the price. Had it been somewhere close to a HiLux I think it would be a well differentiated product with a good niche. Well the £40k they talked about along with the <£50k I said was an ambitious target turned out about true then, to be fair most cars have gone up in the last two years it would appear. I just did a spec on the web site. Not many options so you cannot be silly. It came to £62k or the Belstaff station wagon style at £72k.
https://my.ineosgrenadier.com/770ZVENG8G £62k

So it's just as well LR introduced the new Defender at the same price or a lot higher or it would have been very embarrassing for Ineos. I think the Defender will probably feel a better car for 90% of those who compare the two with the exception of those who need a real farmers car and would have just bought a Toyota Hi-Lux twin cab.

It feels like a miss in terms of a good value rugged workhorse at that point sadly?

I watched both reviews - very objective. The fact that the seats don't fold flat is a deal breaker for us. The impaired drivers leg room just compounds the negatives for me.

I was seriously considering a Grenadier when L-R increased Defender prices last year but at that time there were none around to view. In the end, we went for a 2 year old Discovery, which does everything we need, and saved some money. The air suspension on the Discovery is very useful as an aid to getting my 92 year old parents into the car as well as being a key factor in on-road performance.