British company Ineos Automotive showed its third model – the mid-size electric SUV Fusilier, the development of which is supervised by the Austrian branch of the Canadian company Magna. Initially, Ineos Automotive did not intend to equip the Fusilier with an internal combustion engine, but taking into account the latest trends in the global car market, the Fusilier will still have a plug-in hybrid version with an internal combustion engine.
The first Ineos Automotive model in 2022 was the traditional frame “hydrocarbon” SUV Grenadier, the second in 2023 was the Grenadier Quartermaster platform pickup truck. Today, the third model is shown for the first time – the electric SUV Fusilier (a fusilier is a French soldier of the 17th century with a flintlock gun), its production will begin in 2027, and not in 2026, as previously expected, since urgent changes had to be made to the design of the “fusilier” changes.
The changes are driven by a global slowdown in demand for electric vehicles recorded last year and ongoing. Many automakers have been sharply pessimistic about plans for electric vehicles in recent months, so Ineos Automotive, as reported by the British magazine Autocar, just a couple of weeks ago decided to add a plug-in hybrid version to the future Fusilier range in order to attract a wider audience, including people who are afraid to be left in an open field with a discharged electric SUV.
1/2 
2/2
If the Grenadier has a design in the spirit of the classic Land Rover Defender, then the Fusilier is more reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which is not surprising, since both the Gelik, the Grenadier, and the Fusilier are the brainchild of engineers from the Austrian company Magna Steyr. Development of the Fusilier is in full swing, it will be slightly shorter and lower than the Grenadier (Grenadier overall length – 4895 mm, width – 1930 mm, height – 2050 mm, wheelbase – 2922 mm), and will have a monocoque body, whereas the base Grenadier lies a ladder type frame.
A completely new electric skateboard platform with a flat battery in the floor is being developed for Fusilier. The strength structure of the body will be steel, the outer panels and doors will be aluminum. The suspension is completely independent, the steering is rack and pinion type (the Grenadier uses a screw-ball nut type mechanism), while Ineos promises that in terms of cross-country ability, the Fusilier will be at the level of the Grenadier.
1/5 
2/5 
3/5 
4/5 
5/5
In any case, the Fusilier wheels will be driven by electric motors; there will be at least two of them (one per axle); the characteristics have not yet been announced. The plug-in hybrid version will be of the range extender type with a compact gasoline engine, which will not be mechanically connected to the wheels and will operate in generator mode, charging the traction battery. The battery will be supplied by the Hungarian subsidiary of Samsung. The supplier of the internal combustion engine has not yet been revealed, it is only known that it will be an extremely simple and reliable motor without phase shifters and other complex systems, so its task is to thresh in a steady state. The target range on one charge of the electric version is 400 km, the plug-in hybrid will be able to travel on electric power for about 270 km.
The stylistic similarities between the Grenadier and Fusilier are obvious, but when developing the Fusilier, much more attention is paid to aerodynamics: the windshield is more tilted back, the door the hinges are removed inside the body, the ventilation holes on the front end will be equipped with active dampers. The interior design has not yet been declassified, but there will definitely not be a kingdom of monitors and sensors: they are announced to have the same fancy large buttons as those of the Grenadier, they should be comfortable to press while wearing gloves and will be resistant to water and dirt.
If the Grenadier and Grenadier Quartermaster are produced at Ineos Automotive's own plant in Ambach, France (a former Mercedes-Benz plant), then the Fusilier, according to Autocar, will be assembled at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria. It’s too early to talk about prices, but it’s unlikely that the Fusilier will be cheaper than the Grenadier, since the cost of the electric powertrain (primarily the battery) remains high and is unlikely to decrease noticeably by 2027.
Recent Comments