The 7-seater SUV segment is dominated by the Toyota Fortuner. On one hand, you have the tough SUVs like the Fortuner and on the other hand, you have cars like Skoda Kodiaq which offer a more premium experience. However, this space lacked an SUV which could offer the best of both worlds. Now, Jeep has entered the segment with the Meridian which offers a premium experience to its occupants and the tough go-anywhere capability like a Jeep should. Let’s see what it has to offer!
Design
The Jeep Meridian is not just a stretched Compass. Jeep has made some changes to the exterior to give its own identity. The Meridian will feature a new face with a redesigned bumper and headlights. It gets bi-function LED projector headlamps that are adaptive as well. The 7-slat grille is familiar to the facelifted Compass. The 18-inch alloy wheels are also different in design when compared to the Compass.
The rear gets slim LED taillamps which give it a unique identity. The Meridian is 4,769mm long, 1,859mm wide, 1,682mm high, and has a wheelbase of 2,794mm. For reference, the Jeep Compass is 4,405mm long, 1,818mm wide, 1640mm high, and features a wheelbase that is 2,636mm long. Overall, Jeep has made enough changes to differentiate the Meridian from its sibling. The Meridian is available in 5 colors. Though the Meridian may not be the biggest in its class, it surely commands a good road presence and it looks much bigger in real life than it does in pictures.
Interior
The interior remains more or less the same when compared to the facelifted Compass. The overall layout is unchanged including the features list. It gets a new Emperador Brown interior theme to differentiate it from the Compass. The overall fit and finish remain excellent making it worthy of the premium tag. The storage space is generous too and the cabin feels airy thanks to the large panoramic sunroof. It gets a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless android auto and apple car play, wireless charging, a nice-sounding 9-speaker Alpine sound system, electrically operated tailgate, ventilated seats, a fully digital instrument cluster, electrically adjustable seats with memory function, connected car technology, panoramic sunroof, cruise control, and multi-zone climate control to name a few.
The Jeep Meridian has good accessibility in the interiors, with one-touch fold & tumble seats in the second row and an 80° door opening angle, offering wider ingress/egress for the passengers. The Meridian has an 840mm couple distance between the first and second row and 780 mm between the 2nd and 3rd rows. The second row has good legroom and headroom which won’t be an issue for tall passengers. However, the width makes it less suitable for three passengers. In terms of practicality, it gets features like a 60:40 split seat, one-touch fold & tumble 2nd-row seats, armrest with cup holders, a fold-flat load floor, and all recline-able seats. The third row is best suited for kids since there is a lack of under-thigh support and legroom. The boot space is rated at 233 liters.
Safety
The body of the Meridian is composed of 63% hot stamped parts and high-strength steel that provides higher rigidity, and reduced noise & vibration. Some of the safety features include hydraulic brake assist (HBA), tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), fading brake support (FBS), ready alert brake (RAB), rain brake assist (RBA), hill start assist (HAS), automatic vehicle hold(AVH), electronic stability control (ESC), and 6 airbags.
Performance
The Meridian is powered by a 2-liter diesel engine that produces 170hp and 350 nm of torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed automatic. Manual models come with 4×2 whereas the automatic variant comes with both, 4×2 and 4×4 options. The Meridian can achieve 0-100 km/h in 10.8 seconds and achieve a top speed of 198 km/h. The ARAI claimed fuel efficiency is rated at 16.2km/l. We’ve seen the 2-liter diesel perform well in the Compass and the Meridian is no different.
Jeep has retuned the engine to deal with the additional weight and the engine manages well to deal with it. The 9-speed gearbox shifts well and does the job. However, it tends to get busy at times and one may feel that having 9 gears is an overkill. The NVH levels are well controlled too and overall, you won’t have much to complain about this powertrain. The different drive modes also help in tackling the unbeaten path and the gearbox can launch from the second gear if needed in offroad situations.
Handling
The handling of the Compass has always impressed us and Jeep has made sure that the added dimensions and weight don’t hinder the capabilities of the Meridian. It gets a similar suspension setup with FSD and it glides over bad roads. Though body roll is evident, it is well controlled. The steering is light at slow speeds but it weighs up well as speeds increase. Jeep had also arranged an offroad track to show off the Meridian’s capabilities and it passed with flying colors. True to its Jeep roots, the Meridian is very capable off the road. Its approach, departure, and break-over angles are impressive just like the Compass and you will have no problems conquering the rough terrain.
Conclusion
The Jeep Meridian is for those who want the Compass in a more practical package. It has all the strengths that the Compass has and it also one-ups them in some cases. The only real competitor of the Meridian is the Skoda Kodiaq which lacks the offroad capabilities and the diesel powertrain. Though the Kodiaq offers more features, it has a very low availability. The Meridian is priced between ₹29.90 lakh and ₹36.95 lakh which is a good price considering that the Fortuner and Gloster are much more expensive.