Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas is trying something new. Usually, on the track or riding a bike, the Finnish driver hopped behind the wheel of a Grenadier 4x4 for the first time.
The Grenadier, manufactured by Ineos, main sponsor and one of the three shareholders of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, will enter series production later this year, and the international sale date is settled for early 2022. With an expected cost between $40,000 and $60,000, it comes from billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company, who took inspiration for the name of the off-roader from his favorite pub in London, UK.
The manufacturer hopes to sell around 25,000 models a year and initially used the first-gen Land Rover Defender as an inspiration. But the Brits revived the Defender and Ratcliffe had to start from scratch.
The off-roader will be built at the factory where Mercedes-Benz used to build the smart, in Hambach, France, and, since Ineos and Mercedes are on the same team in F1, their choice to test out the new Grenadier 4x4 was obviously with one of their drivers. And it’s not Lewis Hamilton.
Their pick was Valtteri Bottas, who shared a video test driving the off-roader for the first time, and noted that, thanks to his background in the Scandinavian country, he’s “used to extreme conditions.”
The Finnish racing driver noted that: “whether it’s on the track or off-road, it’s important to have a vehicle you can rely on to get the job done.” Which, in this case, it’s Ineos’ Grenadier 4X4.
With a BMW-sourced 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 engine, paired up to a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, it comes with two engine options. One on gasoline, which comes with 281 horsepower (285 ps), and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. The diesel option is slightly less powerful, with 245 horsepower (249 ps), but it gives out more torque, with 406 lb-ft (550 Nm).
In the video Bottas shared, he talks about his background and his love for the outdoors. The Finish racing driver, who will be a part of Alfa Romeo’s team next season, looks like he feels extremely comfortable in it, battling rough terrain and calling the “testing and development process” the key to a good car.
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