*Paid partnership with Ineos Grenadiers*
“This is pretty special, eh, mate?” The Andorran mountains span all around us, green and powerful under the azure sky. A pack of majestic, muscular horses huddle to the side of a rocky track, their dark brown hair shimmering in the sunlight. We follow a path which takes us higher into the hills, it’s hot and dusty, but stunningly peaceful. The soundtrack to the picturesque scene is Ineos Grenadiers’ Luke Plapp’s recognisable Australian twang.
The 21-year-old rider is usually enthusiastic, but today his voice has an especially excitable edge. It’s no surprise, really. We’re bouncing along the beaten track in the Grenadier 4×4, a new vehicle brought to market this year by Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe which aims to fill the ever-growing gap in offerings for pure, uncompromising off-road automotives, and Plapp is behind the steering wheel.
While his team, Ineos Grenadiers, is of course, sponsored by the British company, the delight Plapp is finding in driving the vehicle is undeniably authentic. “This is seriously impressive,” he exclaims as the Grenadier easily surges up the steep gravel inclines we are tackling with no wheelspin and no struggle. I listen for the sound of the engine revving as Plapp manoeuvres the vehicle over the tricky terrain, but, to my surprise, I hear only the whistle of the wind and sound of the mountains.
In the passenger seat of the vehicle is another Ineos Grenadiers rider: Pavel Sivakov. The Frenchman’s demeanour is a contrast to Plapp’s. He speaks softly and quietly observes the buttons on the Grenadier 4×4’s dashboard, occasionally asking considered questions to the expert who is sitting in the back seat. But despite Sivakov being naturally reserved compared to his team-mate, his carefully chosen words also express a type of admiration for the vehicle he sits in.
“I live here in Andorra, but I’ve never seen views like that,” he tells me afterwards. “Driving off-road, it really lets you see more than usual. That was a new experience for me.”
It’s true that the Grenadier 4×4 is designed for discovery. It’s made to be reliable, functional and tough, a far cry from the luxury SUVs that are infiltrating today’s automotive industry. Inspired by the no frills 4×4 vehicles of the past, but improved with fresh thinking and modern innovation, the Grenadier is made to take its driver anywhere. It’s proved by the extensive testing processes…