Some automakers entered the full-size SUV class over the years and then disappeared without a whimper. As brutal as this segment is, Jeep is not shying away from this fierce competition as it is throwing its hat into the ring with the new Meridian. It will square off against the Toyota Fortuner, the MG Gloster, and the petrol-only Skoda Kodiaq. We focus on what could make the new Jeep SUV a force to reckon with.
Dual personality
Based on the Compass platform, the Meridian gets an extended wheelbase to accommodate the third row. Its second-row doors have an 80-degree opening angle, a first in the segment, to ensure entering and exiting the cabin is a piece of cake. With dark brown leather upholstery, the seats offer adequate lower back support and the seat squab is quite supportive. The seating area is spacious when it comes to legroom and shoulder room, though headroom is limited due to the panoramic roof.
To access the third row, the seats in front easily fold and tumble with the help of a one-touch lever. Stepping into the last row is easy, but it gets confined. Even though seats can be reclined, there is very little knee room. Also, with seats placed fairly low, the seating posture isn’t the most comfortable either, especially for adults. We believe Jeep missed a trick by not making sliding second-row seats.
More than meets the eye
The Meridian is the only SUV that comes with an independent front and rear suspension setup. To showcase its ability, we drove the Meridian on an off-road trail. With high inclines and deep drops in the circuit along with specially made steps for the Meridian to climb a hill, the SUV conquered it all without giving the obstacles a second thought. With an approach and departure angle of 20 and 22 degrees and 203 mm of ground clearance, it was a walk in the park for the Meridian. Even though it is armed with hill-start and descent control and multiple drive modes—sand/mud, snow, and auto—we never needed to tinker around with the settings.
The independent suspension setup is also a boon on the tarmac as it absorbs thuds when it goes over deep potholes and keeps it isolated from the rest of the vehicle, ensuring the ride quality doesn’t suffer.
Lone ranger
The Meridian is only available in diesel (168 bhp, 2-litre engine with 350 Nm of torque). It gets two gearbox choices: 6-speed manual and 9-speed torque converter automatic. Jeep has worked on the engine to make sure the additional weight doesn’t weigh in on it. As we drove the automatic trim, the only grouse we had was that it could have downshifted a bit faster, making overtaking easier. The Meridian remains planted at high speeds, but the engine starts getting coarse and audible.
Final word
The Meridian may be a stretched Compass, but it looks more like the Grand Cherokee. It certainly has a distinguished road presence. It comes fully loaded with features like a 10-inch infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, front ventilated seats, electric tailgate, 360-degree camera, and more. Space management could have been much better, especially for third-row passengers, but with its incredible off-and-on road driving capability, it is the benchmark in its class. Now it all comes down to how Jeep prices it. The Meridian is expected to be in the range of Rs 35 lakh.
