Area of interest manufacturer Ineos Automotive is leveraging its personal approach to customer support and a slowly expanding support network to convert Australia’s rusted-on Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series loyalists.
Formed after Land Rover wouldn’t sell the tooling and manufacturing hardware for the unique Land Rover Defender to British billionaire and chemical engineer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos Automotive currently offers SUV and ute versions of the Grenadier 4×4, each of which compete directly with the 70 Series.
Nevertheless, Toyota holds a dominant position within the local market, with the 70 Series racking up 10,301 sales in ute guise alone last 12 months – hundreds greater than the subsequent hottest heavy-duty ladder-frame off-roader. Ineos, meanwhile, has averaged roughly 1000 sales per 12 months since launching Down Under in 2022.
That vast discrepancy will be chalked all the way down to several aspects, including Toyota’s widely recognised brand, its sprawling network of roughly 300 dealers, and the LandCruiser’s long-held repute for reliability and mechanical simplicity.
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As such, with just 26 dealers, a reputation still unfamiliar to many buyers, and a product that is yet to exhibit its long-term durability, Ineos could be very much caught in a David vs Goliath battle to capture market share from its Japanese rival.
But quite than shrink back from the challenge, Ineos is embracing and even exploiting its underdog status, in line with local boss Justin Hocevar.
“What we just should do as a team is be sure that we’re on our A-game on a regular basis on the subject of supporting customers wherever they’re,” Mr Hocevar told CarExpert on the launch of the model 12 months 2026 (MY26) Grenadier.
“We have some stories of people that’ve had something occur – something’s broken, or they’ve broken something – in really distant locations, and we have been in a position to snap to attention, move heaven and earth to get a component to them quicker than I’d say the standardised processes of a giant corporate could do.
“After which it’s about giving them the best tech support and making the best people accessible as well – if any individual who doesn’t really know the vehicle that well has the flexibility to attach with someone who does – even when that is virtually – then we are able to really help.
“They’re the instances, after they arise, that give us a possibility to exhibit that even without the size and might of a giant player like Toyota, you’ll be able to actually react really, really quickly with modern logistics.”
That is to not say Ineos is not trying to increase its physical presence in Australia.
Reasonably, the marque has plans to collaborate with independent garages to enhance its reach, particularly in regional Australia. This program would see far-flung workshops tackle stock of Ineos parts, in addition to receive training from the factory as a way to provide servicing and repairs.
A small bump in dealership numbers can be on the cards for 2026, after the network temporarily shrunk last 12 months as a consequence of Ineos’ shift away from an agency sales model.
“We have now to maintain constructing that network out as well, because at the tip of the day, the more service locations in the best locations, the higher. The challenge in doing that for us is our size,” said Mr Hocevar.
“We will only support so many retailers. There is no point getting a dealer in a distant location to commit to all the prices related to having a franchise only to have low throughput there. That is the challenge.
“I feel you will see us give attention to having stronger sales and repair outlets, not necessarily pushing for more of those, but augmenting our network with some service-only partners.”
Further strategies have been mapped out to sweeten the Ineos ownership promise, although they continue to be under wraps in the intervening time.
“We have a number of more things up our sleeve that may come… we’ll make some announcements throughout this 12 months around another things that we will do to assist support customers,” Mr Hocevar said.
Previous attempts by Ineos to broaden its audience include the 2025 “Love It or Leave It” campaign, which gave prospective owners the choice to ‘sell’ their Grenadier Quartermaster ute back to Ineos inside six months/15,000km of shopping for the vehicle.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
