The Aussie dual cab market is a tough nut to crack. Just ask Ineos.
The Grenadier Quartermaster hit the market late last year and, unlike the wagon version, which hit the ground running, the boutique brand is facing a sterner challenge with its dual cab.
That’s hardly a surprise. It’s a segment with a somewhat rusted-on customer base, and some competitive pricing from the utes built in Thailand. It basically falls into a middle tier, more expensive than your (base level) Fords, Mazdas and Isuzus, and even the iconic Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series, but cheaper than the big American trucks.
There is, however, confidence that in time the ‘middle class’ benefits of the Quartermaster will shine through. Ineos bills the Grenadier range as the best base-level off-roader on the market. Yes, a 79 Series (for example) is cheaper initially, but by the time you get it to the same spec as the Grenadier, you will probably have spent more.
It tows better than the cheaper options too, only really bested by the big tanks out of the US… which are simply not as good if you want to go four-wheel-driving.
We’ve already written glowingly about the Quartermaster following its initial launch out in the Flinders Ranges. Our latest expedition with this unashamedly boxy, straightforward ute was deep in the Victorian High Country, traversing Mount Buller and Mount Stirling on the eve of the winter season.
The location was no accident; Ineos is the official vehicle of the Mount Buller resort and provides wagons and Quartermasters to be used by the crew that keep the tracks and slopes running all year round.
These mountain experts speak glowingly about their fleet of Ineoses and swear they can see the envy on the faces of their counterparts when they visit different resorts. And as easy as it would be to write off as marketing spin, it’s hard not to believe them. Especially once you’ve tackled some of these tracks and trails in the Quartermaster.
What we put this car through over two days was proper four-wheel-driving. Well, at least most of it was proper four-wheel-driving. The first few hours was the highway blast from Melbourne out to Buller itself, which, for someone who hadn’t driven the car before, was interesting in itself. Because as much of a hardcore off-roader as it looks, it’s actually a comfortable cruiser – particularly for a dual cab. The ‘keep it simple’ approach to the interior is incredibly refreshing in traffic. The cruise control is as straightforward as it gets and being able to fiddle with actual buttons for things like climate control (rather than endless screen menus) is a lifesaver.
The BMW engine/transmission combos need no introduction, the Quartermaster is pretty quiet on the road (unless you want to make some noise by opening the cool safari windows above your head) and (again, for a dual cab) it drives really well.
Once we got into the High Country the real fun started. Dustings of snow in the days before our arrival set the perfect scene to test the mountain credentials of the Quartermaster.
The first afternoon was to get a feel for the terrain, starting with relatively smooth support roads, usually closed to the public and only available to official Buller crew. There were some steepish climbs, but nothing that required more than activating off-road mode (which switches off parking sensors and so on).
Then, a taster of what was to come – a short, steep rocky climb. In a bid to keep things as simple as possible, the transfer case is entirely mechanical. You have to wrestle it to lock the centre diff and then get it into either high or low range.
It’s a stubborn system, and at times requires some rolling forwards and backwards to get the centre diff lock to either activate or disengage. It won’t be for everybody. But the idea is that it’s one less electrical system that can go wrong when you’re out in the wild. And for somebody with old-school off-roading experience, it’s both satisfying and nostalgic.
And immediately, once the centre diff was locked and the car was in low range, it crawled up the steep, rocky track without a worry in the world.
The next morning we set out into the proper mountain wilderness on an epic drive to Craig’s Hut, atop Mount Stirling.
There were some beautiful river crossings, although not quite deep enough to required the wading feature (which stops the fan from running and gives you 800mm of water depth to play in).
And the climbs were a remarkable amount of fun. Most of the time it would sit in second gear low range and basically idle up over the rocks with only the centre diff locked. The rear and front lock were never needed, although it was nice knowing those switches were there, easy to find above your head in that plane-like panel, if things did get hairy.
While the transfer case has its challenges, any potential headaches are severely eased by having all eight gears available in low range. It takes the pressure off needing to switch between high and low when you get out of each and every climb, river crossing or descent. For these roads, you could often comfortably hold onto low range while cruising to the next hazard.
If you had to be critical, the recirculating ball steering system does lack a bit of feel. The idea is that it eliminates kickback, which it does. But on rocky passes where you’re looking for grip, a little more feedback would be nice.
In saying that, any challenges that Ineos is having when it comes to the dual cab market is certainly not down to the quality of the Quartermaster. As proven in the High Country, it is a proper off-roader. There’s not much it won’t do, and that’s without spending big on options or aftermarket upgrades.
As we’ve said before, that makes it a very competitive prospect against the 79 Series. And it should be a considered a formidable opponent to the incoming Ford Ranger Super Duty too, given its towing and payload specs.
Then there’s the simple fact that it is one bad-ass looking car. That ‘inspiration’ from the Defender is just so well executed.
From styling to off-roading to towing to price, you could make a case that it’s the best all-rounder on the dual cab market.
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