Jeep Meridian

Petit Cherokee

Jeep marked its entry into the full-size SUV segment with the Jeep Meridian just as the Toyota Fortuner’s most serious rival — the Ford Endeavour — was discontinued in India. On paper, it just reads like an elongated, 7-seater derivative of the Jeep Compass. Afterall, they both share the same platform and diesel engine. But is there any more substance to the Meridian? And more importantly, how does it stack up against its long list of rivals, which include the Skoda Kodiaq, MG Gloster, Volkswagen Tiguan, and the Fortuner?

Jeep Meridian Pros and Cons 

Jeep Meridian Exterior Design 

Despite having the same architecture, the Meridian has a longer wheelbase than the Compass, and it does look very different and not just a longer Compass. Instead of looking like a larger Compass, it looks like a smaller Grand Cherokee, which is great! While the front is similar, the rear is a departure when compared to the Compass, featuring slim tail-light clusters, and a meaner, sleeker overall look. The sides also don’t let the Meridian look as though its length extension was an afterthought, thanks to class leading wheelbase, and other details like chrome inserts and a dual tone paint scheme. The 18-inch alloys and 235/55 R18 tyres add to the overall road presence, making the Meridian a visually appealing option in its segment.

Jeep Meridian Interiors 

The interior design maintains the high-quality feel of the Compass, featuring a familiar dashboard with leather finishing and brushed chrome. The floating 10.1-inch infotainment system is well integrated into the dash, and overall fit and finish levels are excellent. However, the cabin could benefit from more differentiation with the Compass, and some lower-grade plastics placed lower in the cabin do stand out against the brown seat trim. The all-digital dashboard, front ventilated seats, wireless charging, driving modes, USB ports, and panoramic sunroof contribute to making this a well-equipped cabin.

Jeep Meridian Comfort 

The Jeep Meridian impresses in terms of seating comfort. Both the front and middle row get large and supportive seats with plenty of cushioning and under thigh support. The middle seats fold down with a one-pull tumble mechanism, allowing quick ingress and egress for third row passengers. However, while the seats are comfortable, they don’t slide forward or back, which significantly compromises legroom in the third row. The third row isn’t that generous on head room either, and with the seat being closer to the floor compromising under thigh support, this row is best suited for kids only. It is as a 5-seater that the Meridian shines, offering 481 litres of luggage space with the rear seats folded down. The suspension, with Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) and Hydraulic Rebound Stoppers (HRS) also provides outstanding stability on any surface. Overall, the Meridian's suspension offers more compliance than the Compass, resulting in a settled ride for passengers.

Jeep Meridian Performance and handling

Powered by the same Fiat sourced 168 bhp, 2.0-litre diesel engine as the Compass, the Meridian has a slightly different tune for more measured and linear power delivery. While not as responsive off the line as the Compass, the Meridian's torquey 350 Nm diesel delivers linear performance which is best suited for relaxed driving. The 9-speed automatic gearbox supports this type of driving too, and it feels lazy in both upshifts and downshifts if you start pushing the Meridian’s limits. Despite the added weight and softer engine calibration, the Meridian doesn't feel underpowered and excels as a highway car, offering smooth and effortless long-distance drives. It is also available as an all-wheel drive, which adds a significant dose of off-road ability, but the system is not a full blown four wheel drive one, and it is not as capable off-road as other Jeeps.

Jeep Meridian Key specifications 

Jeep Meridian Safety Features

While the Jeep Meridian is yet to undergo any crash tests, its smaller sibling — the Compass — scored an impressive 5-star crash test rating at Euro NCAP, which has more stringent testing norms than Global NCAP. The Meridian doesn’t get any ADAS features, which would’ve been a good addition at this price point, but it's packed with all the other safety features that you’d come to expect from a car in this segment, such as six airbags, ABS, EBD, electronic roll mitigation, traction control, ESC, a tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX child seat mounts, hill assist, 360-degree camera, and many more.

Jeep Meridian Technology and Infotainment

The Meridian’s dash effectively wraps itself around a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment display, and is an eye-pleasing layout. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are part of the system’s offerings, which is paired with a 9-speaker Alpine audio setup. Interestingly, the digital instrument cluster gets an even larger 10.25-inch screen, which shows a variety of information. The Meridian also gets other features like wireless charging and USB ports, rounding off the equipment list.

Is the Jeep Meridian for you?

Not only is the Jeep Meridian one of the more affordable full-sized SUVs in India, it is also a very capable one, with optional AWD drivetrain and a great suspension which allows very little body roll. Yes, it would have benefitted from a more powerful engine and a quicker automatic gearbox, but if you prefer a relaxed and comfortable driving style, the Meridian makes a great case for itself. The premium and comfortable interiors loaded with features will also attract chauffeur driven customers, and if everything else fails to tempt you, the way it looks should be enough.