Ineos unleashes a monster new ute
British 4x4 specialist Ineos is channelling Japanese pop culture by labelling its customised 4x4 ute Kaiju.
Toyota may not necessarily be looking over its shoulder just yet but British 4x4 specialist Ineos is continuing to build out its range of rival offerings to the LandCruiser 70 Series range, with the launch of its customised Quartermaster cab chassis ute, the Kaiju.
Named after a mythical ‘giant creature’ or ‘monster’ in Japanese, Ineos says the Kaiju name is intended to convey the powerful capabilities of the Grenadier and acknowledge Australia’s love affair with modified Japanese 4x4 vehicles.
However, it could also be seen as a deliberate provocation to its bigger and more popular Japanese rival the Toyota LandCruiser, given that the heavy-duty off-roader is bound to turn some heads that might otherwise have considered Toyota’s own 79 Series dual cab.
The Kaiju is based on the Ineos Quartermaster ute released here late last year and which is itself a development of the Grenadier 4x4 wagon, first released here in mid-2023.
The company says the striking all-black Kaiju Quartermaster is engineered to deliver a class-leading combination of off-road capability and load-carrying versatility for work and adventure.
The vehicle has been built in partnership with local third-party accessory suppliers including Norweld, Rhino-Rack, Brown Davis, REDARC, JMACX, GME, BF Goodrich, MAXTRAX, and STEDI.
Equipment on the special build includes JMACX suspension enhancements, and a Norweld Elite Tray and Compact Deluxe Lite Canopy, designed with a gutter system and rubber seals to ensure dust and water resistance in extreme conditions.
Elsewhere, the Kaiju Quartermaster is fitted with a Brown Davis long-range fuel tank, offering the extended touring range of 168 litres of fuel on top of the factory 90-litre tank.
Among the specialist electrical inclusions for sustained off-grid energy needs are REDARC RS3 Pure Sine Wave Inverters, an Alpha150 150A lithium battery, and Manager Alpha50 battery management system.
Ineos Automotive Regional Director APAC Hocevar said the Kaiju was a unique off-roader that epitomises a heavily modified Aussie 4x4 overlander, while showcasing the customisation possibilities available to Grenadier and Quartermaster customers.
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“The Quartermaster Cab Chassis is a ‘blank canvas’ that allows for great versatility when it comes to customisation, so together with these project partners, we let our imagination run wild,” Mr Hocevar said.
He noted that INEOS Automotive extends its vehicle warranty to cover select aftermarket components from official accessories partners when the accessories are ordered at the point of vehicle purchase through retailers.
Ineos Automotive is one of the world’s youngest car companies, having been founded in 2017 as a subsidiary of Ineos, a leading manufacturer of petrochemicals.
The vehicle division was conceived by English Petro-chemical billionaire and 4x4 enthusiast Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who was frustrated by the demise of the more utilitarian Land Rover Defender.
The resultant Ineos brand ethos was founded on the idea of building uncompromising, no-frills, no-fuss 4X4s that deliver best-in-class off-road capability, durability and utility.
The vehicles feature distinctively stripped-back and functional body styling that bears more than a passing resemblance to the previous generation Land Rover Defender.
Also like the superseded Defender, the Quartermaster dual cab ute and Grenadier five-door station wagon feature aluminium body panelling over a full steel ladder-frame chassis, beam axles and long-travel coil spring suspension.
However, that’s where the similarities end, with Ineos vehicles powered by BMW-sourced inline six turbo-petrol and diesel engines, of 3.0-litre cubic capacity. Both engines feature an aluminium block and head, plus double overhead cam valvetrains.
The B58 petrol unit puts out 210kW@4750rpm and 450Nm between 1750–4000rpm and manages the 0–100km/h dash in 8.8 seconds.
The diesel has outputs of 183kW@3250–4200rpm and 550Nm between 1250-3000rpm, and accelerates from 0–100km/h in 9.8 seconds.
The vehicle’s 4x4 drivetrain was developed in collaboration with Austrian-based automotive engineering specialist Magna Steyr while the vehicles are manufactured at a former Smart car factory in Hambach, France, which the company purchased from Mercedes-Benz in late 2020.
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