In an age of pretenders ruling the roost, the Jeep Meridian 4×4 is a proper sport utility vehicle but with a monocoque body. It has SUV capability but drives like a car. We spent some quality time with it to bring you this review.
I like the torque that diesel engines make. There’s more of it at just over idle than any equivalent petrol can muster in its wildest or wettest dreams. The fact that diesel has been vilified breaks my heart. The new-generation engines, compliant with all current emission norms worldwide—and by some margin—means that the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) tech along with oxidation catalysts work well. The result is no harmful carbon monoxide (CO) or soot particles but just water vapour (H2O), nitrogen (N), and carbon dioxide (CO2), which are all naturally part of our atmosphere, coming out of the tail-pipe. However, these advanced emission control systems come with a significantly higher price tag. In the case of the Jeep Meridian, however, the tag is right in the ballpark.
The new Jeep Meridian starts from Rs 24.99 lakh for the five-seater, front-wheel-drive, turbo-diesel variant in “Longitude” specification with manual transmission. The seven-seat versions start from Rs 27.80 lakh for the Longitude Plus, while the most affordable automatic is the Longitude AT, which costs Rs 28.79 lakh. The Jeep Meridian 4×4 version starts with the Limited(O) spec and costs Rs 36.79 lakh, available only with the automatic. And, finally, we have this Jeep Meridian 4×4 AT Overland spec for this review, which is priced at Rs 38.79 lakh, all ex-showroom, of course.
The styling is pleasing to look at with smooth lines and, while there is no overly aggressive design, the Meridian does look like it means business. The Jeep Meridian 4×4 AT Overland gets all its exterior bits of kit in the selected body colour. That includes the lower bumper, air dam, and side-cladding. The seven-slot grille and the splitter below are finished in chrome for that extra sparkle in the sunshine. The proportions are generous with an overall length of 4.769 millimetres, width of 1,859 mm, and height of 1,700 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,782 mm. That makes it 364 mm longer than the Compass it is based on, with the wheelbase stretched 146 mm as well. But it’s not about the Compass at all. The Meridian is 70 mm longer than the Škoda Kodiaq. It is also 172 mm longer than even the much pricier Land Rover Discovery Sport—with which it shares its ZF 9HP auto ’box—with a 41-mm longer wheelbase as well. Besides, the Meridian is not as tall, so it has less pronounced roll, behaving better than expected when posed with tougher physics questions.
The Jeep Meridian 4×4 uses a conventional hatchback-like MacPherson strut at the front, albeit of much tougher components, with a proper premium SUV multi-link rear suspension. These are electrified with frequency selective damping (FSD) making for millisecond-response changes when the road surface—or the lack of it—demands them. The ride quality is sublime for the most part, flattening small ditches, potholes, and other irregularities with aplomb, while gliding and whumping gracefully over larger speed humps. Only the sharper, non-standard speed humps manage to catch the dampers off guard with a thud or two filtering into the cabin. The ride in the second row and even the third row is excellent.
