Jeep Meridian booking details, exterior and interior, powertrain and more

Jeep has officially announced that it will commence bookings for the all-new Meridian SUV from May 1. The price announcement and launch is expected towards the end of May, following which deliveries will commence from the third week of June. The Jeep Meridian shares its underpinnings with the Compass, but has been heavily reworked to accommodate an additional row of seats and will be diesel-only at launch.

• Jeep Meridian will be powered by sole 170hp diesel engine at launch
• Meridian will be made in India for both domestic sales and exports
• Will be a seven-seater model at launch; six-seater likely to follow later

Jeep Meridian: exterior and interior

Unlike most three-row derivatives of five-seater SUVs, the Meridian is differentiated enough from the Compass to make it stand out. It’s not a mere stretch job as it measures 41mm wider and 48mm taller than the Compass, apart from being 364mm longer in beam with the wheelbase extended by 146mm.

All body panel on the Meridian are completely new, and overall, the design has a resemblance with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L sold overseas. The longer rear overhang and a more upright tail section give away the Meridian to be packing in a third row of seats.

However, on the inside, the dashboard layout is pretty similar to that of the Compass, although it adopts a new brown colour scheme as compared to the Compass’ all-black interior. Moreover, the leather upholstery in the Meridian uniquely features a perforated and quilted pattern. 

While exact variant details are yet to be revealed, the Meridian will be generously equipped in its top-spec guise. Most will be carried over the Compass, including the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, powered front seats, dual-zone climate control, six airbags, traction control, ESC, hill-start and descent control, 360-degree parking camera and selectable drive modes. Additionally, the Meridian will also come with a powered tail gate function.

At launch, the Meridian will be offered in seven-seater guise with a bench seat for the middle row. It will get one-touch tumble down function for access to the third row. A six-seater variant with captain seats for the middle row is expected to join the line-up later.

Jeep Meridian: powertrain details

The Meridian will be powered by a sole 2.0-litre four-cylinder Multijet turbo-diesel engine at launch. This engine already does duty on the Compass, and here in the Meridian, it will produce an identical 170hp and 350Nm. It will, however, be recalibrated to factor in the Meridian’s larger dimensions and weight.

The engine will come mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission. Manual variants will be FWD only, while automatic variants will also get the option of AWD. Later, as we have previously reported, a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine is also expected to join the line-up.

Jeep Meridian: expected price and rivals

Jeep claims to have achieved 82 percent localization with the Meridian, and as such, the prices are expected to range between Rs 35 – 38 lakh mark (ex-showroom). The right-hand drive Meridian will be exclusively manufactured at Jeep’s Ranjangaon factory near Pune, which will also serve as the global export hub for the SUV. The monocoque-bodied Meridian’s only logical rival in India would be the Skoda Kodiaq, although for its price and all-wheel drive capabilities, it will also see competition from full-size ladder frame SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner and MG Gloster.

Also See:

Locally assembled Jeep Grand Cherokee confirmed for late 2022