Upon its launch, Jeep Meridian will compete against other premium seven-seat SUVs like Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster and Skoda Kodiaq
Jeep India revealed new details about their upcoming Meridian SUV today. Based on the Compass, Jeep Meridian will be launched by June this year. Customer experiences will start sometime in May 2022. Bookings are also expected to open around May 2022.
To jog back everyone’s memory, Jeep had officially revealed Meridian through its social media platforms last month. Earlier last year, Jeep introduced the Commander three-row SUV in South America. Meridian will effectively be a right-hand drive version of Commander – which will solely be manufactured in India.
Meridian will be sold in the domestic market as well as shipped to overseas right-hand-drive markets. It will be manufactured at Jeep’s production facility in India at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra. It is essentially a seven-seat derivative of Compass with an overall length of 4769mm thus giving it a better road presence.
Jeep Meridian- Exterior Design
In terms of exterior design, Meridian borrows plenty of styling attributes from Jeep’s international models including the new Grand Cherokee which is also headed towards Indian shores later this year. It gets Jeep’s signature multi-slatted grille up front flanked by rectangular LED headlights on both sides with integrated LED DRLs. It features a muscular front bumper that houses a wide air dam and two thick chrome trims running across the width.
Moving to its side profile, it gets massively flared wheel arches which are wrapped around by plastic claddings thus accentuating its rugged appeal. Like Compass, Meridian gets a boxy silhouette but with a longer wheelbase. At rear, it features a flat tailgate hosting a pair of sleek LED taillamps connected to each other by a thick chrome plate.
Jeep Meridian Features
Inside its cabin, Meridian will offer a luxurious experience with premium soft-touch materials on dash and leather upholstery. It is expected to offer a wide range of creature comforts including a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats, wireless phone charger and more.
Other notable features expected to be offered include a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control and connected car tech with Amazon Alexa support. As for safety, it will come equipped with features like seven airbags, adaptive cruise control and a host of other features. Jeep claims Meridian comes with 60+ Safety & Security Systems.
Powertrain Specs
For now, Jeep Meridian will only be offered with diesel engine option. Powering Meridian will be the same 2.0 litre Multijet diesel engine that propels Compass. This unit kicks out 170 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque. Transmission option will include 6 speed manual as well as 9 speed automatic. Front wheel drive as well as all wheel drive option will also be on offer.
In terms of performance, it has best in class numbers here as well. Jeep Meridian does a top speed of 198 kmph and a 0-100 kmph acceleration in 10.8 seconds. It has a power to weight ration of 95 PS / tonne. The 7 seater SUV will arrive at Jeep India showrooms by mid-May 2022. Deliveries will start sometime in June 2022.
