Ineos will resume production of the Grenadier after resolving supply issues that led to all construction work being suspended in September.
Autocar understands that the pause was due to the bankruptcy of seat supplier Recaro Automotive.
Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Clader said at the time that the company no longer had a trim piece “we couldn’t sell the car without”.
Now “a solution has been found” and production of all Grendiar variants will restart in January at the Ineos factory in Hambach, France.
When asked by Autocar who the new supplier was, Ineos replied coyly: “Until the supplier itself makes the announcement, which is imminent, we cannot name them. We think it is only fair that they announce the news first.”
This may indicate that Recaro may have been saved from destruction, although the German company has not yet confirmed this.
“It is great news that a solution has been found so quickly,” said Calder. “Automotive supply chains are extremely complex, but we were not prepared to compromise on quality, so we are pleased to have found the best possible outcome.”
The restart will come as a relief for Ineos as the company was about to launch in the critical Chinese market, as well as in Mexico, when production was halted.
Calder continued: “We now turn our attention to preparing Hambach for the restart in early January, and with significant growth in key new markets – including China and Mexico – and substantial expansion in the US, I believe 2025 will be our best year yet is going to happen. .”
According to figures from analyst Jato Dynamics, Ineos sold 847 Grenadiers across Europe (including the UK) between January and the end of August this year, a drop of 35% compared to the same point in 2023.