Nepal-bound Jeep Meridian SUV Production Starts In India

Jeep has started production of their upcoming 7-seater SUV, Meridian in India. They have also opened bookings at INR 50,000 and it will be offered in two variants.The Meridian is essentially the India-spec version of the South American Jeep Commander. Based on the Compass’ underpinnings, the Meridian is a larger SUV than its sibling, being stretched in both, overall length and wheelbase to accommodate the third row of seats.The styling of the Meridian, especially the front fascia, including the slim headlamps flanking the seven-slot grille, is more in line with the Jeep Grand Cherokee L. Another design element that seems to be inspired by the larger model is the pair of slim tail lamps, connected by a chrome bar. Jeep India hasn’t revealed the dimensions of the Meridian, a quick look at the spec sheet of its Latin American counterpart reveals that it has a considerably bigger footprint than the Compass.The interior of the Meridian is similar to the one we have seen in the new Compass. However, it ditches the smaller model’s all-black look for a brown color scheme. The leather upholstery in the Meridian uniquely features a perforated and quilted pattern. Talking about features you are basically getting all the great features present in the Compass plus much more.

Meridian gets powered front seats, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, six airbags, traction control, ESC, hill start and descent control, 360-degree parking camera, and selectable drive modes (sand/mud, snow, and auto). The three-row SUV additionally packs in a powered tailgate and a 9-speaker audio system by Alpine.

Meridian will be launched with a 2.0-liter diesel engine, to begin with. It is the same engine that powers the Compass to make 170hp and 350Nm. The engine could be recalibrated to handle the additional weight of the larger SUV. Coming to the transmission, Meridian’s diesel mill gets a 6-speed manual with a front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout. There’s also a 9-speed torque converter automatic, which, unlike the Compass' unit, gets FWD as an option, in addition to the all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.

Pricing has not been revealed but the Meridian will be positioned in order to rival the likes of the petrol-only Skoda Kodiaq, diesel-only MG Gloster, and the Toyota Fortuner.