India’s SUV race has just received a new contender from Jeep. The meridian is like the seven-seater version of their already running Compass. It is among the premium SUVs and has a promising list of features with upmarket interior and offroading capabilities. After Ford’s exit, we did lose a worthy candidate, and fans have high expectations from Jeep to fill that void. But entering the market, it has to compete with the evergreen Fortuner. Lets’s see how it goes up against it:
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Powertrain
Jeep Meridian Unveiled! | Highlights and; Overview Of The 7-Seater Compass
| SUV/ CHARACTERISTIC | JEEP MERIDIAN | TOYOTA FORTUNER |
| ENGINE | 2.0-LITER 4-CYLINDER DIESEL | 2.8-LITRE 4CYLINDER DIESEL/ 2.7 LITRE 4CYLINDER PETROL |
| POWER | 173HP | 204/166HP |
| TORQUE | 350Nm | 420Nm-500Nm(AT)\245Nm |
| TRANSMISSION | 6-SPEED MT/9-SPEED AT | 6-SPEED MT/AT
5-SPEED MT/6-SPEED AT |
| DRIVETRAIN | FWD/AWD | RWD/AWD |
Jeep Meridian is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine churning out 173hp & 350 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 9-speed AT. While the Fortuner has both petrol & diesel engines on offer, with the diesel making 204HP & 420Nm torque (500Nm-AT) & is mated to a 6-speed manual/automatic transmission.
Also Read: Jeep Meridian Unveiled! | Highlights and; Overview Of The 7-Seater Compass
The petrol engine on offer churns makes 166hp & 245Nm torque and is paired to a 5-speed manual or 6-speed AT. Both these SUVs come with an optional 4WD configuration for off-road enthusiasts who like to explore. Jeep is well known for the ruggedness of their SUVs and how capable they are when it comes to exploring & the Meridian offers the same package.
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Dimensions
Jeep Meridian Rear Left View
| SUV/ DIMENSION(mm) | JEEP MERIDIAN | TOYOTA FORTUNER |
| LENGTH | 4769 | 4795 |
| WIDTH | 1859 | 1855 |
| HEIGHT | 1698 | 1835 |
| WHEELBASE | 2782 | 2745 |
| BOOT SPACE (all seats up) | 233 | 296 |
| GROUND CLEARANCE | 203 | 225 |
The Meridian is 4mm wider than the Fortuner. It also has a longer wheelbase with 37mm more. In contrast, the Fortuner is 26mm longer and significantly taller than the Meridian(137mm). We have already seen Fortuner on the roads, and we are familiar with the excellent road presence it has. The Meridian’s dimensions are surely promising, and we expect it to have a great road presence too, with the Jeep stance.
Also Read: Jeep India Teases Jeep Meridian Ahead Of Launch
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Safety
Jeep Meridian Spacious Interiors
Meridian has safety features such as 6-airbags, ESC: electronic stability control, traction control, ISOFIX child seat mounts,360-degree camera, ABS & EBD, hill-start assist & tire pressure monitoring system with an electronic parking brake. While the Fortuner consists of 7-airbags, vehicle stability control with a brake-hill assist, ABS & EBD, traction control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, and an emergency brake signal.
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Features & Price
Jeep Meridian Launched At Rs. 29.90 Lakhs!
| SUV | JEEP MERIDIAN | TOYOTA FORTUNER |
| PRICE(EX-SHOWROOM) | ₹29.90-36.95 LAKHS | PETROL: ₹31.79-33.38 LAKHS
DIESEL:34.29-48.43 LAKHS |
Meridian gets a panoramic sunroof, wireless charger, USB A&C ports, terrain modes, and a powered tailgate. It stands on 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels with ventilated 8-way adjustable seats and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with JeepU connect. In addition to that, it also gets dual-zone climate control & an upmarket Alpine audio system.
Also Read: Toyota Fortuner GR-S Launched In India! What’s Different?
On the other hand, the Fortuner gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless charging, 360-degree parking camera, ambient lighting, powered tailgate, quad-LED headlamps & a JBL sound system.
While both the SUVs have promising features & capabilities in a similar price range. Fortuner misses out on the panoramic sunroof but has a spacious third row as compared to the Meridian. But the Meridian, the newer candidate, has slightly more modernity to offer and will give people the choice of something other than the already running SUVs. Which one would you pick?
