THE CAPTAIN of the Airbus taking me to the Highlands couldn’t let us disembark. No matter; we were late boarding at Heathrow, held up by de-icing and delayed while waiting for permission to depart. And after being patient for the best part of half a decade for the Ineos Grenadier’s launch, another 30 minutes while the Inverness ground crew inexplicably struggled with snow on the mobile staircase wasn’t going to make much difference. It was a relief to know that the Grenadier was finally up and running.
It did, however, give me a chance for a final gathering of thoughts. What’s the best way tothe nation’s heart. No pub discussion of the Grenadier is complete without a lively session of knowledge one-upmanship. But is the Grenadier a Defender replacement, as the shape and spec suggest? Or is it a challenger in the luxury SUV market, as the price tag would suggest? I was still undecided when we finally reached the hotel, where a beer and a bed beckoned.
