Jeep Meridian: The Jeep Meridian is a big step forward in the growing footprint of the legendary American name in the Indian SUV market.
Expanding on the success of its Compass, the Meridian takes Jeep’s brand purpose to the three-row premium SUV segment through unique styling, elevated on-road manoeuvrability and authentic off-road capability befitting of the brand’s legendary roots.
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Jeep Meridian: Design Philosophy
The Meridian’s styling is overtly Jeep and has no resemblance to its smaller Compact sibling. Up front you’ll find the marque’s traditional seven-slot grille offset by narrow LED headlights, ensuring the old brand keeps its bold new premium profile.
From the side, a larger wheelbase and greater presence are apparent as are strong character lines to keep the visual mass in check.
While it doesn’t drive like a Porsche, the Meridian doesn’t have the visual heft of a typical three-row SUV thanks to some clever design features.
The so-called “floating roof” design, blacked-out pillars, sleek greenhouse and subtle chrome accents give the archetypical Jeep a premium look, and underscores the Cherokee’s place in the lineup as a nicer entry in the segment, while still keeping true to the brand’s brawny ethos.
Interior and Practicality
Inside, the Meridian’s cabin is a mix of luxury and practicality. Shared architecture with the Compass but with its own design elements and materials that cause it to feel like it is a step above.
Soft-touch materials, double-stitched leather and real wood accents convey a premium feel befitting the vehicle’s premium stature.
The three-row setup provides seating for seven, but the third row works best for kids or small adults on short trips — par for the course in this class.
The second row has decent space and can slide and recline to make life a bit easier for those in the middle row.
Capacity with all seats in place is 170 liters, growing to a more practical 480 liters with the third row stowed and a healthy 1,760 liters with the rearmost two rows down—actually quite flexible for family use.
Technology and Features
The Meridian’s tech package is based on a 10.1 inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
This high resolution display provides a responsive interface as well as an easy to use operation system. A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster delivers a range of customizable information that vary depending on the driving mode and user settings.
Premium features include:
Alpine audio system (nine speakers, including subwoofer)
Tri-zone auto climate control with separate 3rd row climate control
Panoramic sunroof
Wireless charging pad
360-degree camera system
Hands-free power tailgate
Safety The vehicle is offered with an array of active safety that includes AEB (automatic emergency braking), lane-keeping assist and BLIS (blind spot monitoring) and adaptive cruise control, so the Meridian has caught up with the rest of the world in terms of safety.
Powertrain and Capability
It’s solely powered by Jeep’s well-proven 2.0-litre MultiJet II diesel engine which delivers 170bhp and 350Nm. That engine can be mated to a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic, which in the case of the automatic shifts particularly smoothly and promptly.
Front-wheel drive is standard, though the Meridian is offered in 4×4, which includes Jeep’s Active Drive system with Selec-Terrain, which also provides Snow, Sand/Mud, and Auto modes.
The Meridian doesn’t get the Rock mode or low-range transfer case that you’ll find in the Trailhawk, but its off-road chops are more than most crossovers in this class can offer.
The 4-wheel independent suspension provides a superior combination of on-road comfort and off-road articulation. With 214mm of ground clearance and approach/departure angles that promise the Meridian is prepared to go easily several feet further afield than almost all three-row SUVs would dare venture, Jeep’s adventure-oriented brand promise remains intact.
Driving Experience
On the street, the Meridian is a paragon of comfort and sophistication for such a large truck. The stiff chassis layout, along with the finely tuned suspension, soaks up road imperfections nicely with composed handling as a bonus. Noise isolation is superb, and even at freeway speeds there’s little wind or road noise to interfere with the cabin occupants.
The diesel is nicely loaded with mid-range torque that’s perfect for overtakes but initially the throttle can seem a bit laggy while you wait for the turbo to spool up.
The nine-speed automatic does a good job of putting it all to the ground, but we prefer the more involving control of the manual transmission for enthusiasts.
Market Positioning
Meridian comes at an interesting juncture of premium SUV landscape of India. Priced higher than popular 3-row SUVs from mainstream makers, such as the Tata Safari and MG Hector Plus, but lower than luxury marquees of European brands, it aims at attracting buyers looking for American design differentiation, true utility and features that belong to premium domain without entering luxury tax territories.
Jeep Meridian
The Jeep Meridian effectively translates the brand’s adventurous philosophy into a practical three-row offering without losing the unique personality that has made it a Jeep.
Third-row space and no petrol option are likely to put off some prospective buyers, but for the premium family SUV shopper who’s actually going to use genuine off-road potential the Meridian’s combination of plush and tough is a compelling one that its few competitors can’t match.
