Grenadier launcher

MEET THE MAN WHO WILL LEAD THE INEOS CHARGE INTO AUSTRALIA'S 4x4 MARKET

- DANIEL GARDNER

JUSTIN HOCEVAR is no stranger to adventure and a challenge. As if earning a living as a motorcycle courier on London's notoriously dangerous streets in his early 20s wasn't enough of a testament to his fortitude, the trip home to Australia after four years in the UK was completed using a Honda XRV750 Africa Twin and 12-month overland adventure. Of course, the journey would have been far simpler by air, but Hocevar tells Wheels that a year-long odyssey through countries including Iran, Pakistan and Nepal teaches you a few things that the inside of a Boeing 747 cannot.

"Going out into the unknown leaves a mark on you that you can approach anything and everything, and your consideration of the possibilities is a little broader," he said. "But also it leaves you with a longing for doing things differently and not taking the path well-trodden."

Over a long and varied career in the Australian automotive industry, Hocevar's resume includes a tenure with BMW helping to transform Motorrad from a range of motorcycles for grey nomads into a vibrant adventure brand, and turning Renault's flat-lining sales into five years of growth from his first year at the helm. But the longing for adventure and a desire to break the mould isn't fading with experience. In fact, his latest venture is arguably the most ambitious and risky-leading challenger brand Ineos into the fearsomely fickle Australian market.

Conceived over beers at Ineos Motors' founder Jim Ratcliffe's favourite pub and sharing its name, the Grenadier large 4x4 will lead the charge around the world's respective markets, funded by the company's giant chemical industry ventures. If you're seeing more than just a likeness to the retired Land Rover Defender then you're not mistaken.