Jeep Meridian bookings to commence from 1st May, to get the tried-and-tested 2-litre diesel mill
Jeep India has officially confirmed that the bookings for its upcoming 7-seater SUV, Meridian, will commence this Sunday while the launch is expected to happen at the end of May and deliveries from the start of June.
Sharing its underpinnings with the existing Compass, Jeep has somehow managed to fit in another row of seats to make the SUV a proper 7-seater. Surprisingly, in an era of petrol, CNG, and hybrid technology, the Meridian will be offered only with a diesel heart at least at the start thanks to Fiat’s great expertise in diesel engines.
Unlike many other 7-seater cars derived from their 5-seater versions, the Meridian has witnessed heavy rework to accommodate the seats. For example, the body has been stretched to the point that the car is now wider by 41 mm and taller by 48 mm from the Compass it’s based on. The wheelbase is also wider by 146 mm.
Though the Meridian is based on the Compass, it looks more like the Grand Cherokee L sold abroad. Coming to the interiors, the dashboard is quite similar to the Compass but with a new brown finish against the Compass’ traditional black theme. Also the seats feature perforated leather with a quilted pattern.
Most of the features of the Compass is expected to be carried forward in the Meridian including its 10.25-inch cluster, 10.1-inch center console display that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, motorised front seats, dual-zone climate control, 6 airbags, traction control, ESC, hill-start and descent control, 360-degree parking camera, and selectable drive modes.
The Meridian will be powered by the lone 2-litre Multijet diesel engine that produces 170 HP and 350 Nm. It will be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 9-speed auto-box. The engine will be re-tuned though for the Meridian as it’s a people mover. Later, Jeep might also offer a 1.3-litre turbo petrol motor.
A more comfortable 6 seater variant will also be offered after a few months post launch. The made-in-India Meridian has 82 percent localisation, claims Jeep and it could command a price tag of Rs 35 to 38 lakhs (ex-showroom) upon launch.
