Jeep Meridian 7-Seater SUV Revealed; India Launch In June 2022

Jeep has revealed that the new Meridian will be launched in India in June 2022. The carmaker announced the launch date as it shared more details on its upcoming Compass-based SUV. The carmaker had previously shared an initial set of images of the Meridian giving a first look at the SUV's styling and cabin. Now the carmaker has revealed further details in regard to the seating, equipment to be offered and the engine, gearboxes and drive configurations that will be available. While bookings for the SUV are yet to be officially opened dealers are accepting bookings against a down payment of Rs. 50,000. The Meridian will start arriving in dealerships in mid-May with deliveries to commence in June.

The Meridian will be available solely with a diesel engine – the familiar 2.0-litre diesel already used by the Compass. The unit will make an identical 170bhp and 350Nm with gearbox options including a 6-speed manual or 9-speed automatic – the latter with the option of four-wheel drive. As with the Compass the four-wheel drive system gets terrain modes – sand/mud, Snow and Auto – selectable by a toggle switch alongside the gear lever. Jeep claims the Meridian will offer segment leading performance with a 10.8 sec 0-100kph time and a top speed of 198kph. Jeep says its power to weight ratio will also be best in segment. There is no petrol unit yet on the car.

Upright rear and sleek tail-lamps in line with larger Jeep SUVs

The Meridian will get independent suspension with frequency selective damping and hydraulic rebound stoppers to offer a smoother ride and greater stability.

The Meridian's design carries many of the traditional Jeep design elements from the iconic grille, squared off wheel arches and upright design. While the link to the Compass still remains Jeep has looked to give the Meridian some differentiation with a revised front fascia and a new look rear end – similar to some of its larger global models.

Meridian will get a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

Moving to the cabin, the Meridian will feature a dual tone black and brown colour scheme with the dashboard as previously seen shared with the Compass replete with the soft touch centre section. All three rows of seats will be available with a recline function with the third row offering up to 11 degrees of recline. The second-row bench seat comes with a fold and tumble function to access the third row. All three rows also get their own dedicated air-con vents. Jeep claims that the Meridian offers best in class cabin space with greater space between the three rows of seats than on rivals.

Jeep claims class leading space inside the cabin

On the equipment front, the Meridian will pack in tech such as full LED projector headlamps with auto focus, Led fog lamps, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 360 degree camera, panoramic sunroof, multi-zone climate control, power-lift tailgate with a programable opening height and a 9-speaker Alpine sound system.

The SUV will be locally manufactured at Jeep's Ranjangaon plant and yes, will be exported from here too.