Jeep India recently confirmed the arrival of its first 7-seater SUV for the Indian market, touted as the Meridian. This elder sibling to the Compass is set to launch in India, in May, after it officially breaks cover on March 29, 2022. But, before the Jeep Meridian is here to rival the Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq, and the MG Gloster, let’s take a look at what makes it so special.
Design: Some old, some new
Jeep goes the ‘Made-in-India’ way with the Meridian and will be exported from here to other markets. Design cues are borrowed from the Commander that is sold in the South American market. However, it gets its own special bits like broader headlamps, slimmer taillamps, and differently designed front and rear bumpers. Although the Meridian shares the same platform as the Compass, at a length of 4769mm, it is 364mm longer than it.
There’s also a possibility of the India-spec Jeep Meridian to be offered with a 6-seat layout with captain seats in the second row.
Technological prowess
The Jeep Meridian is likely to offer all whims and fancies that are part of the feature list of the range-topping variant of the Compass. It might get a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a wireless phone charger, ventilated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats.
Safety
For safety, the Jeep Meridian will get 7 airbags and automatic emergency braking among other features. We won’t be surprised if it gets ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) and adaptive cruise control as well.
But under the hood, on the road?
The Jeep Meridian will carry forward the tried and tested 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder Multijet turbocharged diesel engine at its heart. The same is found on the Compass, but on the Meridian, it could be tuned to generate close to 200bhp. Transmission duties will be carried by a 9-speed automatic and the SUV will get an all-wheel-drive system offered as standard. It will also get different terrain modes such as – Sand, Snow, and Mud for an improved off-road experience.
Jeep Meridian Price
The Jeep Meridian price is estimated to start from Rs. 30 lakh and go up to Rs. 35 lakh (all, ex-showroom).
