Hertz Will Rent You An Ineos Grenadier If You Felt Your Vacation Was Too Comfortable

Have you ever been planning a vacation and thought that your trip was shaping up to be far too comfortable and relaxing, all while the rental car you had set up was a bit boring? Well, Hertz has the solution for you. This spring, it's introducing the Ineos Grenadier to its fleet of rental vehicles at select airports across the country.

It's hard to know exactly why someone on vacation would want a Grenadier. It's not exactly quiet, comfortable, cheap or good to drive — the sort of things most people look for in their rental car. I've gotta assume it's aimed at the sort of person who would normally spring for a Jeep Wrangler, but they've got a few extra bucks burning a hole in their pocket. I can't say for certain, but I can say that a lot of unaware people are about to become incredibly familiar with the limitations and quirks of recirculating ball steering. I'm sure your average Hertz customer will love that.

Of course, this isn't the first off-the-wall vehicle Hertz has offered up for rent at its facilities. It's rented C2 Corvettes, Shelby GT350 Mustangs, Corvette Stingrays, Hendricks-modified Camaros, Ford Focus and Fiesta STs, the Nissan GT-R and even supercars from Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini and Lotus, according to Road & Track. It's no stranger to this sort of thing, but obviously, its bread and butter is base-spec Nissan Rogues and Chevy Malibus.

"At Hertz, we're focused on offering the newest and most exciting vehicles in the industry and giving customers access to modern, high quality rental options," Adnan Manzur, Hertz's SVP of North American Customer Operations, said in a statement.

I'm not sure how good a rental car the Grenadier will make. While it looks like a fairly conventional (albeit boxy) SUV from the outside, it's anything but that on the inside and underneath. Unless you're someone who really knows what a Grenadier is, its wacky, body-on-frame driving characteristics and strange-to-say-the-least interior ergonomics might put some people off.

Still, Hertz seems undeterred.

"With the addition of the INEOS Grenadier, we're continuing to broaden customer choice and reflect travelers' evolving preferences for unique, premium driving experiences that make the journey just as memorable as the destination," Manzur said.

Yeah, of course, they look cool as hell, and they're incredibly capable, but I think a lot of renters are going to think it'll drive similarly to a Bronco, Wrangler or even a Defender, when that's simply not the case. Maybe renters won't care, but I feel like I might if I were shelling out a lot of money for one of these and wasn't totally sure what I was getting myself into. Though I suppose that would be on the renter for not doing their research. The Grenadier might carry a premium price tag, and it might offer premium off-road capabilities, but I don't think it gives the "premium driving experience" Manzur is referring to here.

Eh, at least it's more interesting than a Nissan Rogue.