Jeep Meridian SUV to break cover on 29th March: What to expect?
Jeep India is all set to launch its next big launch in the country, Jeep Meridian. The upcoming premium SUV is slated to break cover on 29th March and is likely to launch in the first half of this year. As the Stellantis owned iconic SUV manufacturer has said, 2022 will be an action-packed year for the brand. One of the key launches for the company would be the Jeep Meridian. Expect it to be a made-in-India SUV for the domestic market, in an attempt to grab more market share in the bulging premium SUV space in the country.
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Jeep India is aiming to cater to a niche customer segment with its seven-seater Meridian SUV. The automaker aims to sell this SUV in India and export it to other countries as well. Jeep India received a pretty good response with its Compass SUV. Now with Jeep Meridian, the US-based SUV manufacturer aims to replicate that success.
Jeep Meridian price and rivals
Jeep Meridian SUV could be priced between ₹25 lakh and ₹35 lakh (ex-showroom). With this pricing range, the premium SUV will compete with rivals such as Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster and Skoda Kodiaq.
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Jeep Meridian design
Jeep Meridian SUV is expected to come with the automaker's signature design language. The SUV would get styling cues from Jeep Compass. However, there will be distinctive elements as well. It will come as a three-row SUV and retains several styling characteristics from Compass and a few from Grand Cherokee as well.
It gets an iconic seven-slat front grille, LED headlamps, a chunky bumper with integrated LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps, body cladding, integrated roof rails, panoramic sunroof, horizontally positioned LED taillights, rear wiper and washer, integrated rear spoiler. The SUV is expected to run on 17-inch alloy wheels. Also, there would be 18-inch alloy wheels on offer.
This premium SUV appears to have a bigger rear overhand and larger rear doors compared to the Jeep Compass. This would ensure easy ingress and egress for the third-row occupants of Jeep Meridian.
Jeep Meridian cabin
Inside the cabin, the Jeep Meridian three-row SUV would come sharing several elements with its sibling Compass. The dashboard is expected to get premium soft-touch materials. There would be a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Jeep's U-Connect. It would offer features like remote commands, geofencing, OTA updates, towing information etc.
Both the second and third-row occupants are expected to get individual AC vents and USB slots with fast charging capability. The front seats are expected to get ventilated and have multi-way adjustability. Other features would include cruise control, wireless charging etc.
Speaking about the safety features, Jeep Meridian would come with six airbags, a 360-degree camera, a power tailgate, ABS with EBD, ESC, electronic parking brake, Isofix child seat anchors, traction control, reverse parking camera and sensors, hill-start assist, defoggers as standard.
Jeep Meridian specifications
Jeep India is yet to reveal any detail about its upcoming Meridian SUV. Expect the premium three-row seater SUV to get a 2.0-litre Multi-jet diesel engine that works in Jeep Compass. This engine is good to churn out 170 bhp peak power and 350 Nm of torque. There would be a larger 2.4-litre Tigershark four-cylinder naturally aspirated MultiAir II diesel motor as well, used by Chrysler. This engine is capable of producing 184 bhp of power and 243 Nm of torque.
Transmission options for Jeep Meridian SUV would include a six-speed manual gearbox and a nine-speed automatic unit. The Jeep Meridian SUV is likely to be available in both 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrain configurations.
