Jeep has launched the new, facelifted version of the Meridian at a starting price of Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It gets a few new updates, variant reshuffles and ADAS functionality which has been the hottest technological feature in modern cars in India currently.
Lets get started with the updates. There is not much to say on the exterior. Jeep has only added a few black bits around the headlamps as a new change to the exterior of the vehicle. It still gets the same wheel design and the Overland trim gets body-coloured cladding. Things are a little different on the inside. The base longitude variant now gets Vinyl seats while all the other variants get vegan leather. The Overland trim also features a new cognac interior colour option.
The big news is that the Meridian now is also available in a 5-seater configuration and the 7-seater configuration is optional thus reducing the price of the vehicle a little but and offering people a 5-seater with a large boot. Another big addition is the ADAS which comprises of both a camera and a radar and offers features like Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, High Beam Assist, Blind Spot Detection with Surround View Monitor, Traffic Sign recognition and driver attention alert. The ADAS is only available on the top of the line Overland trim of the Meridian.
Mechanically, the car remains more or less the same and features the same 2.0L multijet diesel engine sourced from Fiat which produces 170 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. It is paired to either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed torque converter automatic. One can also get the Meridian with a 4×4 option.
Jeep has very strategically introduced the Meridian at a much more lucrative pricing. It now starts at Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Earlier, it was priced from Rs 29.49 lakh (ex-showroom). This is Rs 4.5 lakh cheaper than the previous model. Here is the variant wise pricing of the Meridian:
- Longitude: Rs 24,99,000
- Longitude Plus: Rs 27,50,000
- Limited (O): Rs 30,49,000
- Overland: Rs 36,49,000
We do hope that the new features and pricing helps Jeep move more of their cars in Indian market. The Meridian competes with the likes of the Tata Safari, Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra XUV7OO and the Skoda Kodiaq.
