There’s no shortage of dual-cab utes on the Australian market. The majority of these are medium, one-tonne pickups with leaf springs and available 4×4 systems, but an increasing number are large, American pickup trucks such as the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado.
In between, there are more rugged and heavy duty options such as the Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series and Jeep Gladiator – both of which are based on a rugged body-on-frame chassis with a live front axle and coils at the front. These are skewed more heavily towards off-roading ability with a sacrifice in steering directness and road manners. There’s now a third contender to consider; the Ineos Granadier Quartermaster.
Driving Enthusiast was invited for an extensive drive between Whyalla and Wlipena Pound in the Flinders Ranges, with some of the most breathtaking scenery rural South Australia has to offer.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Grenadier’s story, CEO of chemical company Ineos, Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted a replacement for his Land Rover Defender. Unhappy with the direction its Toorak Tractor replacement was said to be going in, Ratcliffe devised a plan to keep the shape and rugged engineering philosophy for a vehicle of his own.
Famously, this plan took place at the Grenadier pub in London. While the Grenadier wagon has been on sale already in petrol and diesel configuration, racking up some 1500 units in Australia so far, the Quartermaster Ute now enters the fray, aimed at a segment which is closer to the hearts of Australians.
Like its wagon progenitor, the Quartermaster features two BMW engine options; the twin-scroll turbo 3.0-litre ‘B58’ petrol inline-six producing 210kW/450Nm, and the ‘B57’ turbo-diesel version generating 183kW/550Nm. ZF’s silky smooth eight-speed automatic reports for duty here, tied to a permanent four-wheel drive system, with a Borg Warner two-speed transfer case with locking centre differential.
The petrol version is officially rated at 12.6L/100km for fuel consumption, versus 10.5L/100km for the diesel. And then in terms of 0-100km/h performance, the petrol does the sprint in a claimed 8.8 seconds and the diesel does it in 9.8 seconds.
Pricing starts from $105,000 for the petrol base Quartermaster, the diesel adds $5000, with Fieldmaster and Trialmaster editions adding features, such as twin sunroof and more off-road focused gear. A cab-chassis model ($102,000) is also available, which could tempt many 79 Series buyers away.
On hand for the vehicle’s launch, the brand’s head of APAC region, Justin Hocevar, told Driving Enthusiast that the brand’s agency model of selling meant there was no scope for price gouging or any of the supply issues that has constrained some competitors.
The Quartermaster has a payload of 907kg compared with 832kg of the standard ute. A braked towing capacity of 3500kg is competitive with the best-in-class. Its 7000kg GCM is also very impressive.
Sporting a 305mm longer wheelbase than the Grenadier wagon at 3227mm, the total length is 5400mm. It’s 1943mm wide and 2019mm tall.
Off-roading is obviously a massive part of the Grenadier’s ethos, and to that end, the ground clearance is 264mm, wading depth is 800mm, approach, departure and break-over angles are 36.2, 22.6 and 26.2 degrees respectively.
What sets the Grenadier apart is the emphasis on analogue controls. For example, there are no electric seats, and the chassis construction sticks to conventional but well-sorted norms. Eibach supplies springs, with Sachs dampers controlling their oscillations. Built in the old Smart Fortwo factory in Hambach, France, the Quartermaster is covered by a three-year/100,000km warranty.
Our impression of the new ute is one of competence on road, albeit ponderous at times due to the recirculating ball steering. It is nevertheless capable at high speed and exceptionally quiet, despite the brick-like aerodynamics and bluff windscreen.
We aren’t sure if it’s the acoustics of the Grenadier, but BMW’s diesel engine has never sounded so clean and sonorous. The interior, with its aeroplane-style overhead switchgear and no-frills appearance will not be to everyone’s taste.
A central screen incorporates touch-screen functions as well as housing the speedometer – ala Tesla Model 3. A quirk of this vehicle is the two-spoke steering wheel, with a bicycle ‘toot’ function, with a louder horn in the central crash pad. Because of the hardcore chassis underneath and the square form factor of the Grenadier, the driver’s footwell is impeded, with slightly awkward pedal placement.
It’s on broken and unforgiving surfaces that highlights the true brilliance of the Quartermaster, however. This is an extremely rigid frame, which kills so much road noise and shock before it makes its way to the cabin. The tuning of the springs and dampers is so masterfully executed, leaving the ute sailing over rocks, and passengers are not jostled around at all. This could be the most refined off-road experience of this writer’s life.
A sand dune section gave us an opportunity to test low range, which is operated by a bulky and tactile gear lever. Without even airing the tyres down from 36psi, the torque and suspension did the rest, making for some stomach-churning fun in the sand.
Covering all this distance left us with a mostly positive impression of the Quartermaster. It’s an interesting vehicle that sports serious off-road ability with the engineering refinement of a BMW engine.
It must be said one vehicle featured a broken dual-range 4×4 selector, but this seemed isolated, and the tough engineering was evident throughout our time with the Quartermaster. It’s the closest thing you’ll ever get to a BMW G-Class ute.
