Ineos Grenadier back in production

Ineos Automotive announced late Thursday that production of the rugged Grenadier SUV and Grenadier Quartermaster pickup truck has resumed at the vehicles’ plant in Hambach, France.

Production was paused last September after the Grenadier’s seat supplier, Recaro Automotive, ceased production in July due to insolvency.

Italian seat manufacturer Proma Group stepped in, agreeing to take over Recaro and restart production in a last-minute deal reached last month. This paved the way for Ineos to resume production at its own plant.

“This is a great start to the year for us, one I strongly believe will be our best yet and will build on the more than 40% growth year-over-year we achieved in 2024,” Lynn Calder, Ineos Automotive’s CEO, said in a statement.

Ineos was founded in 2016, but it is part of the Ineos chemical giant established in 1998. The company had originally planned to add two more SUVs, including an electric vehicle, as well as a second plant. However, it announced last August that these additional plans were being put on hold to focus on new variants of the Grenadier and Grenadier Quartermaster, and to expand into more markets.

Calder stated that with the recent addition of China and Mexico to its list of markets, Ineos now operates in nearly 50 countries. The U.S. is among these, with the Grenadier on sale here starting at $71,500, and the Grenadier Quartermaster starting at $86,900. Production for the U.S. market has been ongoing since late 2023.