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Ineos Automotive will launch the delayed Fusilier 4x4 “in 2028 or 2029”, confirming its commitment to becoming a multi-model, mass-market car maker.

The follow-up to the Grenadier 4x4 was shown in concept form last year and planned to go on sale in 2027 as both a pure-electric car and a range-extender (REx).

According to CEO Lynn Calder, the delay “is all driven by [doubts about] powertrain” and “from regulators in key markets, notably in the EU and UK”.

Although the Fusilier REx’s engine would act as a generator for the battery, rather than directly driving the wheels, it “would be banned” under upcoming laws outlawing hybrids from 2035.

We’re too small to spend huge amounts on product development to then find that we can’t produce it, we can’t sell it, in key markets,” said Calder.

When many other car makers are winding back their commitments to phase out combustion engines, “we’re quite small to be taking gambles on things like that”, said Calder, “at a time when consumers don’t know what to buy, aren’t super-clear on what’s being regulated.

“In our minds, we know the product line-up we want, but how they’re powered is to come.”

“When we get some clarity from governments about what will be allowed to be sold, then we can do what I think automotive manufacturers should do, which is focus on what customers want to buy and then develop and sell that,” continued Calder, noting a disconnect between legislative requirements and how quickly consumers are adopting new tech.

Calder was speaking to Autocar at the opening of a biomass energy plant at Ineos’s factory in Hambach, France (formerly Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Smartville’), which will reduce the factory’s CO2 emissions by around 20% – to “beyond net zero” – as well as its heating costs. Heating is around 70% of all energy use at the plant.

Production of the Grenadier was suspended for four months late last year after seat supplier Recaro Automotive went into liquidation – having given Ineos only a few weeks’ notice, noted Calder.

The German firm has since been rescued by Italian supplier Proma Group and full Grenadier production speed will be achieved again in May.

Despite the hiatus, Ineos grew Grenadier sales by 40% last year as it entered its 50th worldwide market. One of them is China, by far the world’s largest.

Total capacity at Hambach could be up to 50,000 or so cars per year with all-shift working, but Ineos is currently considered a small-volume manufacturer, which “means we get certain derogations in terms of mandates for emissions reduction over time, which shelters us for the moment,” said Calder.

Manufacturers selling fewer than 2500 cars or vans a year are exempted from the UK’s ZEV mandate requirements, but Calder added that “we don’t want to be a small-volume manufacturer. That’s not the ambition and we’re not staying under a limit in order to achieve that.

“We will bust the limit of sales the very first second we can. And then we will have to have a different line-up of vehicles – or, frankly, focus on different markets.”

Calder said any heavy trade tariffs between the EU and US was a concern for Ineos – given the US is the firm’s biggest market “by a long way” – and since our interview, US president Donald Trump announced a 25% levy on cars and car parts imported into the country. Ineos said it was “outraged” by the development and, in response, Calder demanded “urgent and direct political intervention”.

Speaking before the announcement, Calder said: “There is a disparity between automotive imports and exports [American-made cars incur a 10% levy in the EU] and I’m hoping there’s a deal to be done that doesn’t hurt really small brands like us, who are really trying to find our feet and get up and running.”

Ineos won’t share production or financial figures for its automotive division, but Calder said: “When I look around at comparable brands - I don’t mean in terms of vehicle types, but in terms of start-ups trying to build a name for themselves – and I look at the financials that come out of those companies, I think we’re doing really well.

“One of the things that we’re really good at – and there are lots of things we’re not – is cost control. We run businesses like a very tight ship, and not everybody likes that, and it’s not easy, it’s not fun, but we take care to run a business really well; we don’t throw lots of money at everything. There’s no doubt we’ve got a long way to go.”

Dependable, robust and versatile, the pick-up truck has grown into a far more desirable offering in recent years, to a point where regular folk are selecting a double-cab workhorse over an SUV.

Before the boom in popularity, pick-ups were purely utilitarian vehicles, but they have become increasingly more upmarket, with SUV-level comfort, refinement and technology to attract private buyers.

It has certainly worked, as evidenced by the number of double-cab pick-ups on UK roads these days.

Previously, the tax-busting benefits of double-cab pick-ups also heightened their appeal, but as of April 2025, they're classed as cars rather than light commercial vehicles, meaning no more beneficial rates for benefit-in-kind tax.

So where does that leave us? Despite the tax changes, a pick-up still makes a lot of sense if you need a durable vehicle that can carry and tow just about anything. 

Having tested all of the latest pick-ups on sale, our favourite is the Ford Ranger. It’s reasonably priced, has an upmarket interior full of intuitive technology and rides and handles like a large SUV. 

But which other pick-ups should you consider? Keep reading as we share our list of the best models in 2025. 

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a special version of the G-Class that harks back to the 1979 original with a series of historic styling cues.

Called the G-Class ‘Stronger than the 1980s’, it swaps the modern car’s clear bonnet indicators for amber-tinted units like those of the original car and gains a set of classic-looking five-spoke alloy wheels

It is available in a choice of two two-tone liveries, with Agave Green or Colorado Beige paint contrasted against Night Black around the front fascia, skirting and grille, referencing the same scheme used on the original car.

The ‘Schöckl Proved’ emblem mounted on the car’s B-pillar is updated to feature the original G-Class, and at the rear end, the Mercedes-Benz wordmark uses the same font as in the 1980s.

The roof rack, mudflaps, rear ladder and headlight meshes are borrowed from the Professional catalogue of optional extras available on the standard G-Class.

Inside, the seats are upholstered with Dove Grey chequered cloth and the ‘Stronger than the 1980s’ script is inscribed on the passenger grab handle. 

The puddle lights in the exterior mirrors project the message “stronger than time” onto the ground when either of the front doors is opened.

The special edition is otherwise based on the regular G450d, packing a 3.0-litre diesel-powered straight six that puts out 382bhp. This yields a 0-62mph time of 5.8sec and fuel economy of 31.4mpg.

Mercedes will build a total of 460 examples, of the 1980s-inspired G-Class and each gets a plaque on the centre console to denote its place in the series. Prices start at £152,815.

Lexus will go after the BMW i5 and Audi A6 E-tron with a bold new generation of the ES saloon, to be revealed at the Shanghai motor show next week.

Expected to gain the option of electric power for the first time, the new Lexus ES is described as a "global flagship model", confirming that it will be sold internationally but raising questions about the future of the larger LS saloon, which has been Lexus's flagship since it launched in 1989.

Lexus dropped the LS from its line-up earlier this year due to slow sales, having delivered just three examples here last year, leaving the ES as its only saloon offering in the market.

The more fleet-focused ES has historically fared better in the UK, notching up almost 2000 sales in the UK in 2023 - but remains a niche player in comparison to the likes of the similarly positioned BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6.

Lexus hasn't confirmed whether or not it will bring the new, eighth-generation ES to the UK, but the addition of electric power will strengthen its appeal with fleet buyers and could play an important role in contributing to Lexus parent company Toyota's EV sales mix. 

Lexus hasn't yet released any details of the new car's specifications ahead of the unveiling on 23 April but has trademarked the names ES 350e and ES 500e, hinting at the potential for a pair of EV options - as with the Lexus RZ crossover.

The RZ 350e is equipped with a single motor on the front axle producing 221bhp and a 77kWh battery giving an official range of 357 miles. The lower, sleeker ES would be likely to improve upon this if equipped with the same hardware. 

The RZ 500e meanwhile has a dual-motor powertrain with 376bhp and a 77kWh battery giving a range of 311 miles.

Lexus has also trademarked the ES 350h name, suggesting the new saloon will maintain a hybrid option - likely the petrol-electric set-up from the NX 350h SUV, which produces a combined 241bhp and enables low-speed engine-off driving for an official 45mpg.

An official preview image shows that the next ES will retain a low-slung and rakish-roofed silhouette, with obvious efforts at improving aerodynamic efficiency in pursuit of range. 

The ES's Shanghai debut is reflective of the model's importance in China, where saloons continue to be far more popular than in Europe. According to Bestsellingcarsblog.com, it has been the number one car imported into China since 2017. 

Overall, Lexus imports into China grew by 4.1% last year, bucking a wider downward trend.