Jeep India has announced officially that bookings for the new Meridian 7-seater SUV will start this Sunday, i.e. 1st May 2022, with the launch scheduled towards the end of May and deliveries starting in June.
Jeep has managed to fit in another row of seats to make the SUV a true 7-seater while sharing its underpinnings with the present Compass. Surprisingly, in an era of gasoline, CNG, and hybrid technology, the Meridian will only be available with a diesel engine, at least initially, thanks to Fiat's vast experience with diesel engines.
The Meridian, unlike many other 7-seater cars evolved from 5-seater variants, has undergone major modification to accommodate the seats. The body, for example, has been expanded to the point that the car is now 41 mm wider and 48 mm taller than the Compass it is based on. The wheelbase is also 146 mm longer.
Despite being based on the Compass, the Meridian looks more like the Grand Cherokee L sold in other countries. When it comes to the interiors, the dashboard is very similar to that of the Compass, but with a new brown finish instead of the Compass's traditional black. Perforated leather with a quilted texture is also being used on the seats.
The Meridian is expected to retain the majority of the Compass's features, including its 10.25-inch instrument cluster, 10.1-inch center console display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, electric 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 driven by a single 2-liter Multijet diesel engine with 170 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque. It will be coupled to either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission. The Meridian's engine, though, will be returned as it is a people mover. Jeep may possibly offer a 1.3-liter turbo petrol engine in the future.
After a few months, a more comfortable six-seater variation will be available. According to Jeep, the made-in-India Meridian has 82 percent localization and might be priced between Rs 35 and Rs 38 lakhs (ex-showroom) when it debuts. That's all for this post. Stay tuned to CERadar for more such content.
0 Comments