Autocar July 1, 2020

AT THE END of the month, the government’s consultation on the ban of all non-pure-electric cars by 2035 – or sooner – will end. It’s the single most significant change our industry has faced since its conception in the late 19th century, practically legislating out of existence the highly developed and still developing internal combustion engine. We’ve written our own submission for the consultation (see p52). We take a pragmatic and realistic view that helps protect the many specialist low-volume manufacturers the UK car industry is rightly proud of while recognising that the ICE deserves to live on with hybrid assistance. Making all transport zero emissions for all of the time will require massive investment from the government in infrastructure and buyer incentives. Even then, it simply will not be achievable for…

AT THE END of the month, the government’s consultation on the ban of all non-pure-electric cars by 2035 – or sooner – will end. It’s the single most significant change our industry has faced since its conception in the late 19th century, practically legislating out of existence the highly developed and still developing internal combustion engine. We’ve written our own submission for the consultation (see p52). We take a pragmatic and realistic view that helps protect the many specialist low-volume manufacturers the UK car industry is rightly proud of while recognising that the ICE deserves to live on with hybrid assistance. Making all transport zero emissions for all of the time will require massive investment from the government in infrastructure and buyer incentives. Even then, it simply will not be…

GOT A STORY? Email our news editor lawrence.allan@haymarket.com Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s rugged new off-roader, the Ineos Grenadier, has broken cover with a variety of clear design references to the old Land Rover Defender and a specification that could easily pass for a modernised version of the 1948 original. Despite this, the Grenadier is an all-new 4x4 created by a ground-up team and brand, with modern components, a state-of-the-art powertrain and possibly an even more singular purpose than the icon that it seeks to supplant. Similar in size to the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class and powered by a modular range of six-cylinder BMW diesel and petrol engines, it’s expected to be priced from £40,000 when it hits the market late next year, initially as a five-door station wagon then “soon afterwards” as a four-door pick-up truck.…

GOT A STORY? Email our news editor lawrence.allan@haymarket.com Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s rugged new off-roader, the Ineos Grenadier, has broken cover with a variety of clear design references to the old Land Rover Defender and a specification that could easily pass for a modernised version of the 1948 original. Despite this, the Grenadier is an all-new 4x4 created by a ground-up team and brand, with modern components, a state-of-the-art powertrain and possibly an even more singular purpose than the icon that it seeks to supplant. Similar in size to the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class and powered by a modular range of six-cylinder BMW diesel and petrol engines, it’s expected to be priced from £40,000 when it hits the market late next year, initially as a five-door station wagon then “soon afterwards” as…

With the emergence of his Land Rover Defender successor, any suggestion that the Grenadier is simply billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s vanity project must be declared dead and buried. The project is far too thorough, well-founded, plausible and visually convincing for that. When the digital wraps first came off the Grenadier, I was instantly impressed by the quality its designer Toby Ecuyer describes over the page, my ability to read the design and its purpose. Sure, you think of the Defender. The Grenadier was always going to refer to its iconic inspiration: Ratcliffe actually fought Jaguar Land Rover in the courts to ensure that there could be no question of any patent being infringed. But the Grenadier is very much its own car, and an instantly desirable one at that. Of…

With the emergence of his Land Rover Defender successor, any suggestion that the Grenadier is simply billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s vanity project must be declared dead and buried. The project is far too thorough, well-founded, plausible and visually convincing for that. When the digital wraps first came off the Grenadier, I was instantly impressed by the quality its designer Toby Ecuyer describes over the page, my ability to read the design and its purpose. Sure, you think of the Defender. The Grenadier was always going to refer to its iconic inspiration: Ratcliffe actually fought Jaguar Land Rover in the courts to ensure that there could be no question of any patent being infringed. But the Grenadier is very much its own car, and an instantly desirable one at that. Of course, Ineos still has…