We spent some time with the India-spec three-row Jeep SUV to give you an in-depth first look.
- Jeep Meridian exterior styling inspired by Grand Cherokee L
- Interior has been largely carried over from the Compass
- Will be powered by a sole diesel engine at launch
2022 Jeep Meridian: design and dimensions
Seven-slot chrome outlined front grille; slim LED headlamps with DRLs
With a flat nose and an upright stance, the front bumper of the Meridian houses the small foglamps with a chrome strip running across.The sides reveal the ‘Meridian’ badging along the doors as well as chrome window lining, giving it a ‘floating roof’ effect. Despite the flat, yet smooth surface, the Meridian features a single shoulder line along the body with large, squared wheel arches, highlighting its stance.
2,782mm of wheelbase on the Meridian; squared wheel-arches
Finally, the rear of the SUV, which is upright in nature, reveals the slim LED tail-lights that are connected via a chrome bar. Along with the creases on either side of the tailgate, the Meridian also sports a chrome piece joining the reflectors and a silver, bumper-mounted faux skid plate. The SUV has also been equipped with 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, a blacked-out roof, and mirror caps.
Meridian gets a 233-litre boot
In terms of dimensions, the three-row SUV measures 4,769mm in length, 1,859mm in width, and 1,698mm in height, with a 2,782mm wheelbase. Compared to the Compass, the Meridian is 364mm longer, 41mm wider, 58mm taller, and has a 146mm longer wheelbase.
2022 Jeep Meridian: interiors and features
The new Meridian has a dashboard layout that’s similar to the Compass, except that it has a brown colour scheme instead of the all-black look. Another differentiating highlight of the three-row SUV is the implementation of a perforated and quilted pattern on the leather upholstery of the seats.
Dash layout carried over from the Compass
It also gets a one-touch tumbling functionality on the middle-row bench seat for access to the third row. This is also where Jeep has installed cup holders on either side with roof-mounted AC vents.The SUV carries forward the switchgear, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, and the 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from the Compass.
Dual-pane panoramic sunroof; roof-mounted AC vents on third-row
Meanwhile, the interior of the Meridian also reveals the piano black finish of the centre console that houses the electronic parking brake and the selectable drive mode switch (Sand/Mud, Snow and Auto). Additionally, the middle-row passengers get air vents along with a USB charging port and a 12V charging socket.
Third-row seats with cup holders on either side
While some bits are similar to the Compass, the Meridian gets front ventilated seats, an air purifier, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, multi-zone climate control, and a 360-degree parking camera. Jeep also offers a memory-powered tailgate that allows the individual to set an exact height for the tailgate to open. Other safety features include six airbags, traction control, ESC, hill start and descent control.
2022 Jeep Meridian: powertrain and variants
At launch, Jeep will offer the Meridian in FWD and AWD variants, with a sole 2.0-litre Multijet diesel motor from the Compass. This will develop an identical 170hp of power and 350Nm of torque, whilst being calibrated to account for the extra weight.
Jeep claims that the SUV can accelerate from 0-100kph in 9.8sec and achieve a power-to-weight ratio of 98hp/tonne with a top speed of 198kph. The automaker will offer a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission, in which case manual variants will be FWD only, while automatics will also get the option of AWD.
2022 Jeep Meridian: expected price and rivals
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