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Ineos says it has seen a steady increase in sales with the launch of its second model to reach Australian shores.
British off-road brand Ineos is maintaining a steady flow of Australian sales of its off-road Grenadier and dual-cab Quartermaster ute.
“Since our first deliveries in June of 2023, which were all wagons, we've been putting around on average about 100 units a month. Probably our biggest month was about 170,” said Justin Hocevar, Regional Director of Ineos Asia-Pacific.
“Our lowest supply month might've been 40 or 50 units. So there are over 2000 operating on Aussie roads now, and probably about 85 per cent [are] diesel.”
This represents an increased cadence following a stunted start in Australia due to stock issues that saw only around two-dozen examples make it into customer hands in the brand's first two months on sale in 2023, despite hundreds of orders.
“We're not a member of the FCAI, and that's not because we want to hide our sales activity away from the industry. It's simply a case that the cost, the time involved in being part of that, has its benefit to us as a small brand,” Hocevar said.
“Right now, it's not like we're going to have a seat at the table to have high influence on NVES [CO2 emissions rules], changes to the ADR [motor-vehicle regulations] or input back into franchising code or any of these sorts of things that typically the bigger brands want to get involved in.”
Despite still averaging low volumes compared to the big players, Hocevar says he is happy with the brand's current performance.
“The wagon volume, I would say, is going quite satisfactorily. We'd be happy to sell more, of course, but I think that awareness of the wagon is starting to get to the appropriate level, and we've got good awareness, consideration and intention for people to purchase that vehicle.”
The current split according to Hocevar’s numbers is around 20 per cent Quartermaster ute and 80 per cent 'wagon' SUV, which Ineos aims to bring closer to a 50:50 split.
“I could say a more natural rate between wagon and dual-cab... Quartermaster is running at, give or take 20 per cent of our mix, which is not where we'd want it, given the size of the dual-cab market in Australia and what some competitors can do.
“If we were more like 40 to 50 per cent of our total volume, we'd be much happier. And we think that there's certainly the potential to get there.”
The latest model in the Ineos line-up is a cab-chassis Quartermaster, which does away with the tub normally found on the dual-cab pick-up version, allowing owners to instead have their own steel or aluminium tray – or any other type of unit – built and fitted to the ladder-frame chassis.
Priced from $102,000 before on-road costs, the Grenadier Quartermaster Cab Chassis is $8000 cheaper than the tub-equipped version and the five-seater Grenadier Station Wagon.
Ineos says it is starting to build awareness around the product, especially compared to other dual-cab utes from bigger brands that start at nearly half the price, including the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
“Awareness of the Quartermaster is still really low, and people's understanding of its value proposition, what they get for its money, is another thing.
“We've got to do a bit of work because it's not a Thailand[-built] medium-duty dual cab, it's so much more than that, and it's only when people lift the hood on it, or get underneath it and see how robust it is, that the penny drops.”
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
