[sachin_cs]

One of the most beautiful alloy design from an oem manufacturer. These days every other car sports a similar looking dual tone diamond cut alloys but the ones on the meridian definitely stand out. They are giving that Abarth or Lenso dyna vibes.

[shibujp]

Great review!

This is a product where when you look at each feature in isolation some are impressive but some others are average. And the sum of parts never quite add up as a comprehensive product!

It is great to see that the Meridian stays true to the dynamic heritage of the Fiat brand in India and since great Multijet diesel engines. It's commendable that they have achieve the real life performance as described in the Meridian from the same engine as in the Compass in what is a heavier car.

However as we are all used to, they have unfortunately managed to bring the quirks that proved to be the undoing of the Fiat brand in India too. For once, if you are selling a seven seater in India what is the logic in a second row that is not wide enough and a third row that is not comfortable enough? Both the Karens and the Ertiga outdo it in this respect. But dude, the brand! some would say...well then I would point to the Skoda Kodiaq which enjoys a more premium positioning any day, comes with a stonking 2.0 L TSI and a fast DSG to boot!

But diesel some others would say! Well the Fortuner and crazy resale says I with which you will easily make up the extra 10-15 lakh you pay initially. If it's the Jeep brand that matters then you might as well buy the Compass and save some moolah anyway.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[suhaas307]

The Meridian is a bit of a mixed bag, in my book.

I absolutely loved the solid build and heavy doors, and you do feel that while driving the car. It feels rock solid in your hands.

But I did not like some of the plastics and the strange squeaks and rattles from the cabin. I have noticed this in other Compasses also. It’s strange because the car otherwise feels quite well put together.

I was blown away by the off-road capabilities of the Meridian despite the significantly longer wheel base. And the ride quality, especially at speed and on open roads, really impresses!

But I was thoroughly let down by the interior space - especially after Jeep emphasised repeatedly that it has “best in class interior space”. What class are they talking about? I do not think it is significantly more spacious than a Compass, let alone the entire class / segment. Maybe just a little extra knee room in the 2nd row and maybe an inch or two for shoulder room. Three abreast in the 2nd row is going to be a squeeze and there is no doubt about it.

I simply cannot understand the confidence and conviction with which Jeep calls the Meridian’s cabin “best in class” in terms of space and accommodation.

They insisted that the Meridian belongs to a different segment and it’s comparatively more premium than the Compass. On being questioned, they said that it has x, y, z, which were basically some additional features that honestly, ought to have been present in the Compass to begin with, let alone the Meridian. They also said it has extra seats and therefore belongs to a higher segment.

I simply do not see it.

I also think, and Jeep will absolutely despise me for saying this, but the Meridian is nothing but an elongated LWB Compass. The reason for this:

1) The drivetrain is identical to the Compass - for the Meridian to be in a full segment higher I strongly believe it should have an even better drivetrain than the SUV in the lower segment.

2) The space is really not that much more than the Compass despite all the assertions that it is “best in class”.

3) The features and equipment are not that much more than the top-end Compass. More importantly, features cannot and should not distinguish cars from different segments. There should be something significant to keep a premium segment car distinct from a lower segment car - not features and equipment!

[EaurougeatSpa]

The pricing as per the SA I’m in touch with for a booking is 43-47lakh on road in Bangalore.
I will continue to hold my Tiguan booking and this is a pass for me.
I would rather have a spacious 5 seater than a cramped up 7 seater.

[ScorpWarp]

I was waiting and hoping to book Meridian but below are deal breakers for me

1. I was willing to compromise on the same engine output and slow gearbox if they had provided paddle shifters. But NO, Jeep won't offer it in 40L car when Maruti is offering it in their XL6. I am dumbfounded by this omission especially when the Brazil version has it. Why Jeep? Why?

2. The second row is still cramped for 3. I ruled out Compass due to lack of space and am sorry to say Meridian also doesn't offer any significantly more space. It is not even a proper 5 seater :(

3. In The last row, even kids/teens would not be happy there. It is almost like sitting on your knees in your chest position. Also, no sliding second row to free up space for the third row? Why?

It indeed is a stretched compass, so disappointed, what a big letdown I would say!

[PrideRed]

Going by review and some comments here, unless Jeep prices this sensibly, might meet same fate as Alcazar or worse. Buyers will consider Meridian, compare against Compass and after seeing that you pay premium for extra boot space, will go ahead and book Compass or a better 7 seater.

[sunikkat]

One main challenge Meridian will face, if they are trying to compete with Fortuner, is the power figures. Agree Meridian has better interiors and much better ride quality than Fortuner, but a prospective customer deciding between the 2 will definitely look at power figures - we are speaking about 200bhp/500NM vs 170bhp/350NM which is a significant difference. Though I am not a fan of Fortuner and it’s utilitarian interiors, if I have to choose between 2, I would go for Fortuner just for that power output.

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

One main challenge Meridian will face, if they are trying to compete with Fortuner, is the power figures. Agree Meridian has better interiors and much better ride quality than Fortuner, but a prospective customer deciding between the 2 will definitely look at power figures - we are speaking about 200bhp/500NM vs 170bhp/350NM which is a significant difference. Though I am not a fan of Fortuner and it’s utilitarian interiors, if I have to choose between 2, I would go for Fortuner just for that power output.

I have seen this (or similar) arguments throughout the forum. However, baring us enthusiasts, almost no one else cares for these numbers. For most people, the brand, looks, interior quality, etc matter much more than fun to drive factor.

Having said that, the Jeep Compass is no slouch. I think a lot of people are just going by the numbers and not actually taking a test drive to check for themselves. Meridian is not that much heavier than the Compass and looking at the reviews, seems perfectly adequate on the power front.

[TSJ9959]

As a competition to VW/Skoda family, who offer similar sized cars with only petrol engine, Meridian will pull in respectable numbers.

[enj0y_ride]

More than likely, Meridian might cost 8-10 lakhs over Compass OTR. Now the natural thought will be if the delta improvements and two mini adult seats are worth 8L or more (cost of another decent hatch).

It might also annihilate another Stellantis car : C5 Aircross (unless they go terribly wrong on pricing)

[nkrishnap]

Excellent review as always.

With what is on offer, if Jeep is trying to compete with Fortuner (if not the product per se, on the price) they will have a tough time selling the Meridian. An incremental price of 2 to 3 lakhs on road price is what would be seen as ideal considering the compass itself is overpriced.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

I have seen this (or similar) arguments throughout the forum. However, baring us enthusiasts, almost no one else cares for these numbers. For most people, the brand, looks, interior quality, etc matter much more than fun to drive factor.

Having said that, the Jeep Compass is no slouch. I think a lot of people are just going by the numbers and not actually taking a test drive to check for themselves. Meridian is not that much heavier than the Compass and looking at the reviews, seems perfectly adequate on the power front.

Well I had done multiple test drives of Compass auto Diesel and many highway drives of Compass Manual (my friends car). While the outright performance is okay never felt it’s great.

Infact every review of Meridian has called out performance as adequate and Jeep should have gone with higher power figures. And paying that much money I personally feel performance has to be great, not just adequate. Again I would not put close to 50 lakhs on something with the power figures / performance which are comparable or lesser than cars costing half the price.

You will be surprised, a lot of non-enthusiasts actually go by numbers on paper. And that’s where Fortuner has a edge. For them ride and handling (strength of Meridian) might not be that important. Enthusiast will mostly check the real life performance, ride and handling etc. It’s an easy task for the Toyota sales man to influence a non enthusiast just by quoting those power figures, which gives them the bragging rights.

In addition to that it’s Fortuner which has bigger brand pull in that segment and looks are subjective.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by ScorpWarp

... if they had provided paddle shifters. But NO, Jeep won't offer it in 40L car when Maruti is offering it in their XL6...

... no sliding second row to free up space for the third row? Why?

.. An incremental price of 2 to 3 lakhs on road price is what would be seen as ideal considering the compass itself is overpriced.

Compared to its Brazilian countepart ie., the Commander, the Meridian has no paddle shifters, no 2nd row middle adjustable headrest, no 3 point seat belt for 2nd row mid seat, no sliding middle seat, no AC power socket in mid row, no ADAS, has Alpine speakers instead of Harman Kardon ones in Commander.
With all the above cost cutting, who knows Jeep may be able to price the Meridian much below the Fortuner.

The Meridian has dedicated 3rd row AC though which is missing in the Commander.

Originally Posted by lordrayden

Even with the 3rd row seats DOWN, the 7-seater Meridian has 481 litres of boot space. ...
Not a very spacious car this Meridian.

With the 3rd row up, the Meridian's boot space is 233L and with the third row down the boot space is 661L (not 481L), so the boot of the Meridian is quite spacious.

Originally Posted by Behemoth

The boot space ... Tiguan, Tucson includes the Spare wheel space. The spare wheel well and wheel take up nearly 150L of boot space. ... found this variance prevalent with many manufacturers quoted boot space.

The tyre in the boot od most cars is typically placed with the air nozzle inaccessible and the wheel well facing upwards, by doing so OEMs are able to claim the space formed by the alloy/steel rim well in the boot space calculation. Typically the toolkit, car cover, first aid kit are stuffed into this space.
If the OEMs turned the tyre with the air nozzle facing up/accessible position, the steel/alloy rim space would be inaccessible and they wouldn't be able to claim this space to the overall boot space.

[lordrayden]

Originally Posted by for_cars1

With the 3rd row up, the Meridian's boot space is 233L and with the third row down the boot space is 661L (not 481L), so the boot of the Meridian is quite spacious.

I think the 233/661 litre figure might be late speculation / expectation from a few months ago.

You can check these articles published in the last few days by Autocar, Overdrive and CarDekho when official specifications were revealed / review embargo was lifted. They say 170 litres with the last row up and 481 litres with the last row down:

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-rev...t-drive-424148

https://www.overdrive.in/amp/news-ca...spec-variants/

https://www.cardekho.com/road-test/j...-769.htm?amp=1

Originally Posted by for_cars1

The tyre in the boot od most cars is typically placed with the air nozzle inaccessible and the wheel well facing upwards, by doing so OEMs are able to claim the space formed by the alloy/steel rim well in the boot space calculation. Typically the toolkit, car cover, first aid kit are stuffed into this space.
If the OEMs turned the tyre with the air nozzle facing up/accessible position, the steel/alloy rim space would be inaccessible and they wouldn't be able to claim this space to the overall boot space.

Ah, even more variables to the boot space equation . Thanks for the info.

[neerajku]

Looks like another Honda CRV in the making. All bells and whistles, low powered, excessively priced. Will sell initially and then settle down at less than 100 a month. By the way would love to see their sales and marketing presentation, what does their leadership commit and then compare with what they achieve after a year... Old saying, if you keep making the same mistake and expect a different result, definition of insanity. Would like to add mine, if you keep hearing the same promise year after year from your team on every product and expect a better or a different result.....