Jeep® India has now officially released all the details about its all-new three-row SUV, the Jeep Meridian (H6) today. A clone of the Brazilian-built Jeep Commander (H1), the Meridian will be manufactured in India and feature a few subtle changes including Right-Hand-Drive (RHD) for the Indian marketplace.
Scheduled to start production in June, the Meridian is based on a stretched version of the Compass’ Small-Wide LWB 4×4 architecture. There are three rows of seats, seven seats in total, and one of the largest rear cargo spaces in the category with 1,760 liters (62.15 cubic feet) with the seats down, 661 liters (23.3 cubic feet) with the five-passenger configuration, and 233 liters (7.8 cubic feet) with all seven seats up – the largest volume with seven passengers for the segment. In addition, the model also has a surprising storage space of 31 liters of volume.
Under the hood lies a 2.0-liter turbodiesel inline-four-cylinder engine (also known as the “TD350” in Brazil). The engine puts out 168 horsepower (172 PS) and 258 lb.-ft. (350 N⋅m). Unlike the Commander, the Meridian turbodiesel will be fitted with both manual and automatic transmissions, as well as, a front-wheel-drive (FWD) and four-wheel-drive (4×4). Those Meridians that are fitted with FWD will come with a 6-speed C635 manual transmission. For 4×4 models, a ZF-sourced 9-speed 948TE automatic transmission will be standard equipment.
Jeep says the Meridian has best-in-class performance, with a claimed 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) time of 10.8 seconds and a top speed of 198 km/h (123 mph).
Nipun J Mahajan, Head of Jeep India says, “We are expecting buyers for the Meridian from all segments as today customers are passionate about what is new and are looking for a certain level of sophistication and premium in various aspects. And we feel those parameters the Meridian delivers pretty well.”
The Meridian will only be available in a seven-passenger configuration, thanks to a second-row bench seat. An optional second-row with bucket seats has been hinted at, but not confirmed. “We want to keep some things to surprise you a little later. So, no predictions as to when it’s coming in, but yes, it is in our thoughts,” said Partha Datta, Head of Engineering, Design, and R&D of Stellantis India & Asia Pacific (IAP) when questioned about the option of second-row captain chairs.
When it comes to technology, the Meridian takes a lot of the refreshed Compass’ goodies and repackages it into the new D-segment SUV. There is the customizable 10.25-inch Full Digital cluster and 10.1-inch Full HD Uconnect 5 touchscreen media center with built-in navigation and mirroring for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. It also has smartphone charging, place the device on the indicated part of the center console and the wireless charging capable device will fast charge. However, in case other passengers want to do the wired charging, there are USB ports in the three rows of seats.
There will be two models offered in India, the Limited and Limited O. The Limited includes the following features…
- 18-Inch Diamond-Cut Aluminum Wheels
- Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
- Emperador Brown Quilted Leather Seats
- Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) with Hydraulic Rebound Stoppers (HRS)
- Easy Tumble 2nd-Row & 3rd-Row Seats
- 3rd-Row AC Vents with Dedicated Evaporator Unit
- 10.1-Inch Uconnect 5 Infotainment System
- 9-Speaker Alpine Audio System
- Wireless Apple CarPlay™ & Android Auto™
- Automatic Headlamps & Rain Sensing Wipers
- Remote Keyless Entry & Push Button Start
The Limited O model also adds the following items as standard equipment…
- Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof
- 8-Way Power-Adjustable Driver & Passenger Seats
- Ventilated Front Seats
- Select-Terrain 4×4 Management System
- Power Liftgate with Memory Function
- 360-Degree Camera
- 10.1-Inch Uconnect 5 Infotainment Touchscreen with Navigation
- Full LED Projector Headlamps with Integrated DRLs
The Jeep Meridian will be available in Velvet Red, Techno Metallic Green, Magnesio Grey, Pearl White, or Brilliant Black.
| Jeep® Meridian India Pricing | |
| Variants | Pricing |
| Limited MT FWD | Rs 29.90 lakh (or about $38,400 USD) |
| Limited O MT FWD | Rs 32.40 lakh (or about $40,840 USD) |
| Limited AT FWD | Rs 31.80 lakh (or about $41,610 USD) |
| Limited O AT FWD | Rs 34.30 lakh (or about $44,050 USD) |
| Limited O AT 4×4 | Rs 36.95 lakh (or about $47,450 USD) |
