American SUV specialist Jeep has started production of the upcoming Meridian. Bookings for the Jeep Meridian have also started and the SUV can be booked at the company’s website and dealerships for a downpayment of Rs 50,000.
Jeep had unveiled the meridian SUV for the Indian market at the end of March. The Meridian is a seven-seater SUV that sits atop the Compass in Jeep’s Indian lineup. On the 2nd of May, Jeep commenced production of the all-new Meridian SUV at its Ranjangaon production facility in Maharashtra.
Speaking at the start of production of the Jeep Meridian, Roland Bouchara, CEO and Managing Director, Stellantis India said, “The Jeep Meridian is the third new model manufactured in India since 2021 as part of Jeep’s product offensive. A demonstration of the company’s commitment to the domestic market, the Jeep Meridian will feature up to 82% localisation and has been specially designed, engineered, and tuned for Indian road conditions keeping in mind the refinement expected by customers in the segment. The duality represented by the all-new Jeep Meridian of Sophistication & Capability, has the potential to distrupt the premium SUV segment.”
Jeep claims that the Meridian has been subjected to rigorous testing of over 1 million kilometres, to ensure its durability and consistent performance.
Jeep has also started accepting bookings for the Meridian ahead of its launch next month. At launch, the new Jeep Meridian will be offered with a single engine under the bonnet in the form of the Fiat Multijet II 2.0-litre turbo diesel.
This turbocharged engine produces 168bhp and 350Nm of peak torque. The engine on the new Meridian will be paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 9-speed torque convertor automatic transmission. Jeep claims that the Meridian will hit 100km/h from a standstill in 10.8 seconds and will continue onwards to a top speed of 198km/h.
The Jeep Meridian is 4,769mm long, 1,859mm wide and 1,682mm tall. The wheelbase of the Meridian is 2,794mm long. The wheelbase of the meridian is 158mm longer than that of the Compass which has allowed for the addtion of the third row of seats. However, that third row of seats is best suited for children. You can watch our Jeep Meridian review video below for more details.
The Jeep Meridian features ‘Emperador Brown’ leather upholstery. The multi-layered dash is dominated by a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system connected to an Alpine audio system. The infotainment system supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The Jeep Meridian comes packed with over 60 plus active and passive safety features including traction control, hill hold assist, and electronic stability control among others. Also included is a 360 degree camera for easier parking.
Thoughts On The Jeep Meridian
The Jeep Meridian is yet another SUV offering looking to topple the dominant Toyota Fortuner from its perch atop the segment. With bookings opening and production starting, it won’t be long before we see the Meridian roaming India’s roads and we can’t wait to see what the response will be for Jeep’s newest SUV.
Keyword: Jeep Meridian Bookings Begin As Production Commences