Jeep Meridian three-row SUV for India unveiled

Jeep Meridian is a three-row derivative of the Compass that is set to go on sale in India in the coming months. Latest images released by the company reveal Jeep Meridian exterior and interior.

Jeep has announced its product offensive for 2022 for the Indian market, which includes three models - Jeep Meridian, Jeep Compass Trailhawk and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Of the three, the Meridian will be the company's headliner and will go on sale in May 2022.

While the Meridian name was confirmed earlier in February, Jeep had only shared images of a camouflaged vehicle. The wraps have come off now revealing the three-row derivative of the Compass for the Indian market. Although, there wasn't much to hide in the first place, considering the Jeep Meridian is identical to the Jeep Commander sold in markets like Brazil. The only difference is the name and, consequently, the badges this SUV adorns. The three-row Compass derived SUV will take on the Skoda Kodiaq, Toyota Fortuner and MG Gloster. Jeep states that the Meridian has been 80 per cent localised, which hopefully means it will be priced competitively.

Jeep christened the car the Meridian to reflect upon the SUV's affiliation to India, through which the 77th Meridian East passes. The SUV gets signature Jeep styling similar to the Compass and looks a lot like a shrunken Grand Cherokee. Jeep has engineered the Meridian with a focus on its capabilities. Hence, it gets independent suspension both front and rear along with a claimed best-in-class acceleration.

The images shared by Jeep reveal the cabin layout along with features the Jeep Meridian will come with. The interior is a mix of brown and black, with the dashboard housing the free-standing 10.1-inch touch infotainment display with connected features and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. The second and third rows get aircon vents, the front row has electrically adjustable seats with lumbar support, the 2nd row has adjustable seats too, ventilated front row seats, wireless charging, 360-degree camera to name a few. There is a panoramic sunroof too that extends till the second row.

Jeep states that the Meridian will only be offered in diesel. The engine will be shared with the Compass, which gets a 2.0-litre turbo diesel with 170bhp and 350Nm. For the Meridian, the unit will be re-tuned to counter the SUV's added weight. Jeep says the Meridian will come with three powertrain options. So, like the Compass, there will be a 4x2 diesel manual, a 4x4 diesel manual and a 4x4 diesel automatic.