Jeep unveils the Meridian- a 7 seater based on the Compass.

It hasn’t been long since Jeep officially announced its new 7-seater under the Meridian moniker, via a teaser video. Now the manufacturer has let out more details of the product and has also hinted at the possible launch dates. Here’s all we know about this…

Design:

Jeep Meridian has enough design deviations in it to set it visually distinct from the familiar Jeep Compass. The overall shape might make it look like a grown-up Compass. But the Meridian’s detailing bears no resemblance to those on the five-seater.

Jeep Meridian has extensive reworks gone into its headlamp and grille designs. It gets bi-function LED projector headlamps that are good-looking. The grille gets some significant restyling on the 7-seater and now has its Chrome lining set in a fashion that the upper and lower ends never meet!

Both the front and rear bumpers are new. The Meridian rides on a new set of alloy wheels, has a new tailgate and the LED tail lamps get distinctive styling as well.

Platform And Dimensions

The Meridian is built on a heavily modified version of the Compass platform. Courtesy of the massive reworks done to this architecture, the dimensions of this 7 seater are significantly larger than those of the Compass. The wheelbase has grown notably and the vehicle now has a bigger rear overhang. The window line and greenhouse are large and designed in an aesthetic manner. The Meridian would also be taller and wider than the Compass. In fact, Jeep claims it to be the widest offering in its segment.

Interior And Cabin Experience

Jeep Meridian would have a cabin that looks plush and roomy. It would retain the same dashboard and steering wheel from the all-new Compass but in a new Brown-Black colorway. There would be generous use of premium materials and quilted and perforated leather inside. Just the 7-seater has been unveiled yet, but a 6 seater could also be in the works.

The Meridian is claimed to have class-leading cabin comfort and would also be feature-packed. Things like a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 9-speaker Alpine audio, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, powered tailgate with customizable opening heights (some Grand Cherokee bit there!), 80-degree wide opening doors for easier ingress and egress (Remember the 90-degree doors on the Altroz?), one-touch fold and tumble function for the second row, dual-zone climate control with dedicated AC evaporator for the third row, wireless charger, etc are to be expected. The third-row seats would also feature recline functions.

On the safety front, expect 6 airbags, traction control, electronic stability control, Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), Fading Brake Support (FBS), Ready Alert Brake (RAB), Rain Brake Assist (RBA), Hill Start Assist (HAS), and Automatic Vehicle Hold (AVH) etc..

Powertrain And Specifications

Jeep Meridian will have the familiar 2.0L inline 4 diesel engine from the Compass as its sole powertrain. This engine will be mated to a 9AT automatic transmission, in both FWD and AWD drivelines. The vehicle is claimed to have improved refinement levels and class-leading performance. 0-100 is claimed to be achieved in 10.8 seconds and the top speed is a claimed 198 kph.

For mature road manners and ride quality, the Meridian will have independent front and rear suspensions which use Frequency Selective Damping- FSD- technology (Remember seeing this on the Mahindra XUV700?) and Hydraulic Rebound Stopper (HRS).

Launch And Rivals

We expect Jeep to launch the Meridian in India sometime in mid-2022. The three-row SUV will compete with the likes of MG Gloster, Skoda Kodiaq, Fortuner, and the upcoming VW Tiguan Allspace facelift.