Jeep Meridian officially revealed

The production version of the Jeep Meridian Indian market has been unveiled for India, and while the company hasn’t announced a launch date, we expect the model to join Jeep India‘s lineup in May.

The Meridian is essentially a tailored-for-India version of the Jeep Commander from South America.

Even though it’s built on the same basis as the five-seat Compass, it has a distinct look that makes it stand out. The Meridian’s wider wheelbase, longer rear overhang, and more upright tail portion indicate that it’s a Jeep.

Furthermore, the front fascia’s appearance is more in line with the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, with the small headlights surrounding the seven-slot grille.

The pair of slender tail lights joined by a chrome strip is another design feature that also appears to be inspired by the bigger model.

In comparison to the Commander three-row SUV, the Meridian’s headlights, front bumper, and alloy wheel design are slightly different.

Though Jeep India hasn’t released the Meridian’s proportions, a cursory glance at its Latin American counterpart’s spec sheet indicates that it has a much larger footprint than the Compass.

It features a 364mm longer beam and a 158mm larger wheelbase than the Compass. In comparison to the two-row Jeep, the width and height have been expanded by 41mm and 42mm, respectively.

The Meridian’s dashboard is identical to that of the Compass, except it opts for a brown colour scheme instead of the all-black appearance of the smaller model. In addition, its leather upholstery has a distinctive perforated and quilted design.

Powered front seats, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, six airbags, traction control, ESC, hill start and descent control, 360-degree parking camera, and selectable drive modes (sand/mud, snow, and auto) are among the features carried over from the Compass.

A motorised tailgate and an Alpine 9-speaker audio system are also included in this three-row SUV.

Jeep Meridian will be released with only a 2.0-litre diesel engine at first. Though no power estimates have been released, we expect the output to be close to the Compass’ 170hp and 350Nm.

The diesel engine will come either with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 9-speed torque converter automatic transmission.  Front-wheel drive will be standard, while all-wheel drive will be optional.

Jeep Meridian India launch date & expected price

Jeep claims that this three-row product has achieved an 82 percent localisation rate. Still, expect it to be priced between Rs 28-34 lakh ex-showroom.

The right-hand-drive Meridian will likewise be produced solely at Jeep’s Ranjangaon facility in Pune, which will also serve as the SUV’s worldwide export base.

Despite the fact that Jeep has yet to formally announce the opening of its bookings, several dealers have begun collecting pre-orders for the SUV, with a booking fee of Rs 50,000.

Also read: India to make 6 airbags mandatory in cars from October 2022