Ineos Grenadier Transformed Into Ultimate African Safari Vehicle

Ineos Automotive, the British automaker behind the Grenadier off-roader, has announced the acquisition of Kavango Engineering. The Botswana-based company specializes in converting trucks and SUVs into safari vehicles. The company has been renamed Ineos Kavango and will expand its portfolio to accommodate ground-up builds based on the Grenadier and Grenadier Quartermaster, a pickup truck version revealed earlier this year.

Ineos Kavango has already built a Safari Grenadier from a prototype vehicle. The automaker notes that modifications were kept to a minimum, suggesting the spiritual predecessor to the old Land Rover Defender is well-suited to being a safari vehicle.

The standard 10.4-inch ground clearance has been slightly increased, while the conventional roof has made way for a roll-back canvas top and a foldable windscreen. Elsewhere, the traditional seating layout has been eschewed in favor of tiered seating, providing passengers with a clear view of the natural beauty surrounding them.

Inside, the roof-mounted switches have been relocated to the center console. Besides that, it's the same as any other Grenadier. In our opinion, it looks fantastic. The no-nonsense styling gels exceptionally well with the off-roader's new safari job.

Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive, says the acquisition will help the company's goal for the Grenadier to become a pivotal tool in environmental and conservation initiatives worldwide. "Bringing the Kavango team in-house also means it can work closely with our engineering and manufacturing teams to optimize processes to supply conversion-ready vehicles so we can better serve these specialist use cases worldwide."

Ineos Kavango is based in Maun, a town in the North of Botswana. This ideal location is situated at the gateway to the Okavango Delta and boasts a 1.2-acre facility with 70 employees. The company currently converts around 200 vehicles per year.

"Botswana is recognized as a global leader in conservation, and we will continue to support its work and that of other countries and organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, there is a broad range of opportunities across other sectors that always need durable, capable off-road vehicles with purpose-built bodies to perform specific roles," said Ineos Kavango CEO Charles van Rensburg.

The Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (seen here in bulletproof guise) remains the safari vehicle of choice for multiple national parks and conservation efforts in Africa. With a massive dealer footprint and proven reliability, it will be hard to top the venerable Japanese off-roader. But as sustainability becomes more important, some are looking to electric vehicles for the solution.

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust in Kenya uses Rivian R1Ts to patrol protected areas and has even converted one to safari-spec. Perhaps Ineos Kavango can offer a rival product when the electric Grenadier arrives in 2026.