New Ineos Fusilier plugs the ‘electric Land Rover Defender’ gap in the market

The Ineos Fusilier has been revealed by the British brand as a smaller, zero-emissions sibling to the Grenadier off-roader.

There aren’t many dedicated electric off-roaders around. While many EV models are offered with dual-motor, four-wheel drive powertrains, the Ineos Fusilier is perhaps only rivalled by the far smaller, front-wheel drive Jeep Avenger and more family-friendly Subaru Solterra as an electric 4x4 with real ability in the rough.

The Fusilier appears to be a shrunken version of the larger Ineos Grenadier. It gets that car’s iconic seven-inch round LED headlights, as well as what appears to be a split, horizontally-opening tailgate. The Fusilier also maintains the Grenadier’s boxy shape, which - while figures are yet to be revealed - we doubt does anything to help the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. 

That said, the brand has developed several ways to try and improve range; active grille shutters can either open or close to provide cooling for the powertrain or make the car slipperier. Ineos has also rounded off the corners of the car compared to the Grenadier, while flush glass panels without external rubber seals should also help the air flow more smoothly.

The Ineos Fusilier sits on the brand’s all-new ‘skateboard-style’ EV platform, which is also set to underpin several other future models. Ineos has equipped the Fusilier with a steel underbody and panelling, as well as aluminium doors in order to boost strength and keep the car’s centre of gravity low.

We’ve yet to receive an official WLTP range for the Ineos Fusilier, while exact battery and electric motor specifications also remain undisclosed for now. Ineos’ founder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has told us, however, that the Fusilier will be capable of up to “249 miles” on a charge – of course, this figure may change after the car undergoes the strict WLTP tests.

As well as the pure EV model, Ineos is also going to offer its latest model in plug-in hybrid ‘range extender’ form. This will most likely be the cheaper option of the two as the brand’s CEO, Lynn Calder, admitted that the Fusilier’s electric powertrain costs roughly three times as much as the BMW petrol and diesel engines that Ineos usually uses in its cars.

With this in mind, we expect the fully-electric Ineos Fusilier to be the brand’s most expensive model when it goes on sale, despite being smaller than the Grenadier and Quartermaster pick-up truck. 

Further details are expected to be released in the Autumn, although Ratcliffe had previously hinted that Ineos’ first EV won’t go on sale until 2026. Unlike the Grenadier which is built in France, the Fusilier has instead been developed and will be produced by Austrian firm Magna, which also builds the new Fisker Ocean SUV.