Ineos has paused manufacturing of the Grenadier indefinitely after one in all its vital suppliers hit monetary difficulties.
Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder instructed Automotive Information Europe that it’s unlikely to restart till “towards the top of the 12 months or early subsequent 12 months” as a result of the corporate has run out of a trim piece “that we won’t promote the automobile with out”.
Calder mentioned the provider of the half is in a “pre-insolvency scenario” and that Ineos is searching for another producer for the trim piece.
The pause comes at an ungainly second for Ineos, which is on the cusp of launching within the vital Chinese language market, in addition to in Mexico.
In line with figures from analyst Jato Dynamics, Ineos offered 847 Grenadiers throughout Europe (together with the UK) between January and the top of August this 12 months, a drop of 35% in contrast with the identical level in 2023.
Knowledge from the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants states that Ineos has registered 187 automobiles within the UK up to now this 12 months, a 67.9% discount on the 583 that it had offered by the top of August final 12 months.
These figures make its world enlargement – to areas the place massive SUVs are in larger demand – particularly essential.
As beforehand reported by Autocar, Ineos can be planning a transfer upmarket, having put improvement of the smaller electrical Fusilier on maintain.
“What we needed to attain is now not potential,” mentioned George Ratcliffe, who was not too long ago promoted to the function of Ineos’s chief for North America. “When the Grenadier undertaking began, what we mentioned was: ‘We’re going to construct a very inexpensive, easy-to-fix utilitarian car that can be good for farmers.’ It’s a niche out there. However with the trendy world and what you want – engines, pedestrian safety guidelines, CO2 emissions, regulation on automobiles – you can not try this any extra.”