Jeep India launches SUV Meridian
New Delhi, May 19
Jeep India, a part of automotive group Stellantis, on Thursday commercially launched its new SUV Meridian with introductory prices starting from Rs 29.9 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Meridian is the company’s first three-row SUV designed and engineered specifically for India. It comes with a 2-litre turbo diesel engine with nine-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmission options, the company said.
It will be available in five variants, including all-wheel drive version, with introductory prices ranging from Rs 29.9 lakh to Rs 36.95 lakh.
In a virtual address announcing the prices, Head of Jeep Brand India Nipun J Mahajan said the company received more than 67,000 enquiries and over 5,000 expressions of interest even before the bookings for the Meridian was opened.
The deliveries of the Meridian will begin in June, he added.
Jeep India said the Meridian can be booked on its website and at its dealerships across the country with a down payment of Rs 50,000.
Stellantis India CEO and Managing Director Roland Bouchara said, “The product offensive that we started in 2021 continues with the launch of the Jeep Meridian as the third product from our portfolio – Made in India, followed by Grand Cherokee later this year.”
The vehicle has been based on the group’s ‘SW Architecture and inspired by the globally popular Grand Cherokee.
It is among the three new products, along with Grand Cherokee and Compass Trailhawk, that are being launched in India this year. In the last two years, the company has invested USD 250 million on the development of five products, including Wrangler and Compass, for the Indian market.
The company had launched Compass Trailhawk in February at an introductory price of Rs 30.72 lakh (ex-showroom).
Jeep India said it has tested the Meridian on every kind of terrain in India by taking it on a journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, covering a distance of more than 5,000 km, testing its performance on various parameters of build quality, engineering, and capability.
The company expects the model will become a key player in the premium SUV segment currently dominated by Toyota Fortuner.
