Having witnessed how the Mercedes X-Class was a commercial flop, it goes without saying BMW is in no hurry to launch a pickup, especially since it has a lot on its plate already. Even though there have been a few official truck one-offs over the years, the German luxury brand believes this segment of the market is not an “obvious fit for the BMW brand,” according to BMW Group design chief Adrian van Hooydonk.
However, there might be a way to get behind the wheel of a shiny new pickup truck powered by a BMW engine. Ineos Automotive already sells the Grenadier SUV with B57 and B58 inline-sixes and is preparing to unveil a pickup equivalent. Known as the Grenadier Quartermaster, the double-cab truck will premiere on July 13 during the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed where it will go up the famous hill.
Ineos doesn’t say whether it will install a gasoline or a diesel engine underneath the truck’s hood but expect it to be of BMW origins given the long-term deal between the two parties. The SUV version has been in production at the former Smart plant in Hambach, France since October 2022. The two inline-sixes work with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission sending to the wheels 281 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) in the case of the gas engine and 245 hp and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) for the diesel.
The Grenadier Quartermaster is believed to ride on an extended wheelbase that will be shared with a seven-seat variant of the SUV. Stretching the vehicle makes sense since it would bring a longer bed for extra cargo capacity. Of the two BMW engines, we’d argue the diesel would be more suitable given its generous low-end torque.
The Grenadier and its upcoming Quartermaster derivative are not the only models to use BMW engines in 2023. The latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have a twin-turbo V8 4.4-liter unit from Munich. If JLR ever decides to bring back the Defender pickup, we wouldn’t rule out another BMW-powered truck.
Source: Ineos Automotive
