Ineos Automotive has named major automotive engineering firm Magna Steyr as its engineering partner for the development of its forthcoming Grenadier 4x4.

The British firm, owned by chemical magnate Jim Ratcliffe, is developing the machine as a no-compromise off-roader in the mould of the original Land Rover Defender. The Grenadier is due to go into production in 2021, at a new facility in Bridgend, Wales.

Ineos has already involved a number of partners in the £600 million (Rs 5,607 crore) project, and already works with Magna’s powertrain division on chassis and development work. It has now agreed on a deal with Austrian-based Magna Steyr to lead the development project to turn the concept into a series production machine.

Ineos Automotive boss Dirk Heilmann said that the “transition from concept to series development is a major landmark in the evolution of the Grenadier.” He added that Magna Steyr had been chosen due to its “long heritage and experience in 4x4 development.”

The Grenadier will be powered by BMW’s latest 3.0-litre straight-six petrol and diesel engines. The firm is also working with Stuttgart-based consultancy MBTech on engineering for the new car.

Magna Steyr is the automobile production arm of Canadian engineering giant Magna International, and has developed cars, technology and parts for manufacturers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. It also operated a number of contract manufacturing plants, producing models including the Jaguar E-Pace and I-Pace and Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Magna Steyr was formed in 2001 from the Steyr-Daimler-Puch manufacturing concern, which had a long history of developing rugged off-road and military 4x4 vehicles, including the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Pinzgauer.

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