INEOS to build off-roader in the spirit of Land Rover Defender

WHEN the last Land Rover Defender rolled off the production line, many motoring fans feared they would never see its like again.

By The Newsroom

Published 13th Feb 2017, 15:02 BST

Updated 1st Mar 2017, 08:50 BST

Jim Ratcliffe of INEOS Photo: Ken Lennox/Ineos/PA Wire

But one of the car’s biggest fans, Jim Ratcliffe, the chairman of chemicals firm, INEOS, was determined to keep its name alive. Now, after completing a feasibility study, INEOS has confirmed that it is to build a new 4 x 4 off-roader. It will be the first time that INEOS has produced such a vehicle. The company is expecting to spend many hundreds of millions on the project. Apart from filling a gap in the market vacated by the Defender, INEOS hopes the vehicle will provide a “step change” improvement in quality and reliability. The company is now seeking a suitable manufacuring site in the UK or Europe. Mr Ratcliffe said: “I am a great admirer of the old Land Rover Defender and have enormous respect for its off road capability and our new 4 x4 has been inspired by it. But while our off-roader might share its spirit, our new car will be a major improvement on previous models.”