Upcoming Jeep 7-Seater SUV to be called Meridian in India

Jeep India have announced that its upcoming 7-Seater SUV will be christened as the Meridian 

Jeep India today have announced that its upcoming 7-Seater SUV will be christened as the Meridian. Made in India, the Jeep Meridian will bring forward the American automaker’s heritage and go anywhere attitude. The name Meridian according to the company has been inspired by the line that passes through the length of India connecting some of the most beautiful states and cultures. In order to showcase its true meaning, a special camouflage SUV traveled a distance of over 5,000 kms starting from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.   

"Jeep is an iconic brand, globally recognized for its capable SUVs. The Jeep brand’s journey in India has been legendary and we hope to build on this, with another equally legendary SUV - the Jeep Meridian. Developed specifically for the Indian customer, we have delivered a sophisticated and capable SUV ready to harness a unique segment opportunity”, commented Roland Bouchara, CEO & Managing Director, Stellantis India. He further added, our product offensive for 2022 and beyond will continue to illustrate our commitment to India as we work towards strengthening our market presence. The Jeep Meridian will further push the brand's attractiveness and transform the product portfolio for the Indian market.

On this announcement Nipun J Mahajan, Head of Jeep India said, “The Jeep Meridian is our latest offering for the Indian market as part of our 2022 product strategy. We wanted to announce the name with an innovative activation and the K2K drive through the length of India is in line with the name of our new model.  We tested the SUV on every kind of terrain India has to offer – by taking it on a challenging journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.”

Built on the same platform as Jeep Compass, the Meridian will offer a longer wheelbase to accommodate the third row of seats. Its exterior design will be a blend of the New Grand Cherokee and the updated Jeep Compass. As for the interior, it is expected that the dashboard will be carried over from the Compass Facelift. This means that we would be able to see features like a 10.1-inch infotainment system offering Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable driver & passenger seats, ventilated front seats, wireless phone charger among many others. While the safety equipment list in the 7-seater could include seven airbags, automatic emergency braking system, adaptive cruise control and more.   

Under the hood, the Jeep Meridian is most likely to come fitted with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Multijet turbo diesel engine. This powertrain is expected to develop close to 200 bhp as it will come mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox. The company would offer an all-wheel drive system as a standard fitment on the SUV. Plus, there is also speculation that the vehicle could feature a 48V mild-hybrid engine. When launched, the Jeep Meridian will take on the likes of Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster and Skoda Kodiaq in its segment.