[Abhi_Automobile]

Team,

To me the key takeaway is the 2.0 9AT mated to FWD only! This means lower sticker price for AT Meridian, and potentially Compass being available in diesel AT in lower trims (praying)

What Compass misses out is a Sport/Longitude diesel AT trim. Not everybody needs 100k features to get the convenience of an AT gearbox. Please take note, Jeep!

[Dhillon]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Curious to know what is Competition 1 and 2 here? I am assuming 1 is Fortuner, not sure which one is 2. /X1/C5/GLA etc.

I am surprised that till now no one has thought that Competition 2 could be MG Gloster.

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Not sure who is competition 1 and 2 - it cannot be Fortuner as its claimed 0 to 100 numbers are better than Meridian

Yes, considering this fact then it makes sense that they are not competing with Toyota. This brings to the same question, who is the second competitor then

[Livnletcarsliv]

Simply put, the brand Jeep in India is perceived as something luxurious, premium. And Jeep self-proclaims that they are a niche brand in India and so they cater to a niche market and created a niche segment.

Going by the brand's image and business in India, I am sure Meridian ticks all their boxes. However, for an enthusiast like me or for a hard-core Jeeper, Meridian is definitely a bummer.

Yesterday's product launch is still half-baked even by the industry standards of launching the product first and revealing the pricing later. This is a bad move and a stupid strategy by Jeep. This will only take away more customers from Jeep.

Coming to the product itself, Meridian may not be positioned against Fortuner. Fortuner wins hands down in terms of reliability, off-road capability, ruggedness, brand image, maintenance, resale, etc. I don't think there will be any significant dent in Fortuner's sales by the arrival of Meridian. Meridian may be more positioned against Gloster, Carnival, Kodiaq, and Tiguan.
And with respect to the heart and mind of Meridian, I don't think there will be any significant upgrade/update over the Compass' which is again a bummer. So fingers crossed, only time will tell the fate of Meridian.

Looks like Meridian is neither a winner nor a loser. (Especially because of the diesel powertrain).

[nibedk]

Trust FCA/Stellantis to screw up variants and features distributions.

I still don't get it why does the Limited doesn't get manual 4*4 when the last iterations had it and why doesn't the manual Limited doesn't have a cruise control.

Besides there are no 4*2 ATs. Inspite of having such a huge variant spread some omissions are glaring

It gives customers more options to choose from. Not everyone needs 4*4 but still needs an AT. Some need CC but no 4*4. Some need manual 4*4 and CC. So many possibilities and with such a wide price range Jeep should provide more options. If not at least let customers customize few things to be able to adjust features within their budgets.

A manual 4*4 Compass with CC is just what would be the right combo for someone like me who usually does a lot of cruising (over 1 K+ a day) with bit of soft roading and is ok with either a manual or AT.

Knees have started protesting but I believe a CC on highway drives relieves knees quite a bit and with alternate fuel technologies being the future I would want my next car to be a manual if possible.

The Meridian doesn't seem to impress based on the specs unless they are able to justify prices. As far as engine and drivability is considered would rather wait for early reviews before commenting. I don't think the customers for Meridian are going to be racer boys. Yes a few enthusiasts may not be satisfied but that number is minuscule.

[CliffHanger]

Going by the sales of Compass, Jeep does seem to have a strong pull in Indian markets.

With Endeavor out and Fortuner getting really expensive, there is a big void in affordable premium SUV space. The Tiguan looks dated and bland, while the Kodiaq looks ugly with its Duckish styling. No diesel powertrains for these siblings is a big bummer as well.

The Meridian, looks like, has a lot of chances, but to my eyes, it looks like an undertaker's van. Styling doesn't have an positive aura to it. Fingers crossed on how it looks in real.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by Dhillon

I am surprised that till now no one has thought that Competition 2 could be MG Gloster.

Initial thought was Gloster but the figures mentioned by Jeep don't add up. For instance claim on space, If competition 2 is Gloster, will be the biggest joke of the decade. Also power to weight ration for Gloster is higher than claimed by Jeep.

[t2k4]

Imagine if Jeep's strategy is to establish a relationship between Compass & Meridian as the one that exists between Creata & Alcazar.

Similar car, change 5 seats to 7. Add a few things here & there.

The specs (or lack of) in Meridian's engine bay take a different outlook in this context.

Now, imagine if the slides we've seen are a hoax and they pull a Lewis Hamilton mid-race 'my car is slow' stunt (from 2021, of course; this year - he is slow).

Originally Posted by venkyhere

These discussions on 170PS and 350Nm being 'insufficient' is the result of the age old classical tactic used by marketing dept of car companies - just give them engine numbers.

This is true save for two reasons. a) we know more about the engine (from Compass) so it's not news, and b) given the size of the vehicle & 9AT's performance in Compass, some projections can be made in conjunction with the cc and torque figures whether the package is going to leave tire marks on the tarmac or wrinkles on the forehead

It is a safe projection, if the numbers hold true, that Meridian will not be deceptively quick.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Same here; I own the XUV500 since 2013 and actually want to upgrade to a 4x4 or AWD 7-seater diesel. The family is not interested in the Fortuner

Would you like to share about the disinterest in Fortuner? Given the lack of options in this segment, leaving a trusted performer off the options list in a market where 50L on-the-road price is shockingly becoming an acceptable thing for a non Audi/Merc/BMW purchase requires additional insight.

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Simply put, the brand Jeep in India is perceived as something luxurious, premium. And Jeep self-proclaims that they are a niche brand in India and so they cater to a niche market and created a niche segment.
.
.
.
Looks like Meridian is neither a winner nor a loser. (Especially because of the diesel powertrain).

They can create self perceptions all they want. In the end, value-for-money or the USP sells. Toyota's USP is reliability. Mahindra (and MG to some extent) have carved value-for-money USP for themselves. Not sure Jeep have anything pointed going for them except in the Wrangler & Grand Cherokee segments in International markets. Both models are just too expensive to do numbers for them in India. Grand Cherokee was removed from Indian sales plan toward the end of 2020. They are neither Korean/Japanese nor German. They have a convoluted ownership structure with Fiat Chrysler & PSA.

In terms of the competitors, Jeep's product team would be unwise to compare themselves with Toyota Fortuner.

They can hope to compare Meridian with (given what we know ends up a fact and not fiction):

Kodiaq
Tucson
Gloster
XUV 700
Carnival
Innova

If one were to be too unkind to them, add Alcazar to the list.

[mukeshannamalai]

Just called up a dealer to understand the estimated price, competition. It looks like Meridian will compete with Fortuner, the approx cost is between 42L and 48L, I was initially eager to book but with this price range, I will wait till reviews are out. Jeep should have loaded this with ADAS, it's a missed opportunity.

[kartavya]

Originally Posted by Dhillon

I am surprised that till now no one has thought that Competition 2 could be MG Gloster.



Yes, considering this fact then it makes sense that they are not competing with Toyota. This brings to the same question, who is the second competitor then

The SA I booked the Meridian mentioned Fortuner and Gloster as their targets. No mention of Kodiaq or any other car. I think you might be right.

[ScorpWarp]

I checked with my SA regarding price and paddle shifters. They dont have a detailed brochure with specs yet. SA training is scheduled in 2 nd or 3 rd week of April after which he promised to get back. It seems no option to wait till then.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by t2k4

Would you like to share about the disinterest in Fortuner? Given the lack of options in this segment, leaving a trusted performer off the options list in a market where 50L on-the-road price is shockingly becoming an acceptable thing for a non Audi/Merc/BMW purchase requires additional insight.

It was voted by the entire family: hard ride, too big, no sunroof, no gizmos. Guess I'm not a big fan of Toyota either. We did consider the Innova AT, but I voted it down.

To be frank, among the cars considered, the one we all like the most was the Alturas. It has everything: excellent interior, good kit, CKD, street presence.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

To me the key takeaway is the 2.0 9AT mated to FWD only! This means lower sticker price for AT Meridian,..

Both the 4x2 AT and MT will have another advantage, it will be lighter by nearly 200 KG compared to the 4x4 AT ie.,~ 1700 KG v/s 1900 KG kerb weight.

Thats a huge weight advantage and will add to the power to weight ratio and will make the 4x2 MT and AT more fuel efficient and nimble.
Expecting the MT to have more fun to drive factor compared to the ATs.

[84.monsoon]

The addition of a FWD 6MT indicates to me that the base Meridian may compete at the high end of the price range (or somewhere close to that) of the Carens. They also have compared the Meridian to the Carens without naming it specifically. (Competition 2 mentioned in the marketing slides).

At first we all thought the Meridian will be squarely in the 30-40 lakhs, but this would make it a very low volume player, I think they have realized the value of straddling multiple price bands to increase and broaden the appeal (learning a thing or two from the recent moves by M&M on the XUV700 and Kia on the Carens).

Based on these signals, I think they could position the base 6MT and 22 lakhs or so and then go up form there.

I hope the 9AT with FWD also trickles down to the Compass in the near future.

[kartavya]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

The addition of a FWD 6MT indicates to me that the base Meridian may compete at the high end of the price range (or somewhere close to that) of the Carens. They also have compared the Meridian to the Carens without naming it specifically. (Competition 2 mentioned in the marketing slides).


Based on these signals, I think they could position the base 6MT and 22 lakhs or so and then go up form there.

I hope the 9AT with FWD also trickles down to the Compass in the near future.

There is no way they price the Meridian and the Compass in the same range. It's basically an extended Compass (two sizes bigger). If anything the MT might start where the Compass Trailhawk is priced at. My SA was very clear about the Fortuner price range and I would be very surprised if Jeep would kill the Compass like that.

The Carens (8-17L) would be last thing on Jeeps mind with this car. I fully expect them to target Kodiaq, Fortuner and Gloster.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by kartavya

There is no way they price the Meridian and the Compass in the same range. It's basically an extended Compass (two sizes bigger). The Carens (8-17L) would be last thing on Jeeps mind with this car.

Well, nobody expected the Carens to compete with the Ertiga and XL6, but that is what happened finally! Carens' lower variants are competing with the Ertiga/XL6 and the top variants are competing with the entry variant of the Innova. Every company is trying to straddle multiple segments today.