Jeep Meridian Overland 4x4 Diesel Automatic Multiple People Review

The Jeep Meridian comes across as a good option for those who want to buy a premium, 7-seater SUV. Available in four different variants, the Meridian saw a price decrease some time back, with prices beginning from Rs 24.99 lakh onwards (ex-showroom). With the range-topping Overland variant on our hands, we decided to test it out in our own special way, and see how it fares in a wide range of conditions.

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Jeep Meridian Five People Review; Setting Up

As usual, we loaded up the boot with luggage, and with all rows of seating up, the Meridian's boot space is reduced to 170 litres, which is good enough for a medium-sized suitcase and a night stroller. However, take the third row down, and the boot space goes up to 481 litres, which makes it good enough to take in a tripod stand, a small suitcase, a small camera bag, a large shooting kit bag, a night stroller, and a medium-sized suitcase.

Additionally, the boot also comes with some additional storage space for your knick-knacks, which also takes in a DPF can, a toolkit, and some other small stuff such as towels. Interestingly, if you're seeing the car for the first time, you will notice that the powered tailgate button isn't actually placed underneath the tailgate, but inside the boot just above the boot light.

Jeep Meridian Five People Review; The Experience

The interiors of the Meridian have always felt rather premium, even if there are some elements that bear resemblance to the Compass. The Tupelo dual-tone tan treatment works quite well in my opinion, and it not only feels rich, but it also looks tastefully done. The large glass area ensures visibility is not compromised, and the cabin feels quite airy as a result. The panoramic sunroof also helps keep things airy in the cabin.

The Meridian continues with a 10.1-inch infotainment touch screen and the familar steering wheel, the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, there's plenty of soft-touch elements on the dashboard and doorpads, and there is also a healthy mix of buttons and touch controls for various functions.

The usual drill takes place here, with Bunny Sir in the driver's seat at just over 6 feet, Shipranshu at 5'10", Lakshya at 5'8", and myself at 5'6". With four of us in the cabin, the cabin still feels quite comfortable and spacious. The seats are large and they will support you very well, and even with our taller team members in the front, there is no shortage of space, with plenty of legroom and headrom on offer and the bench also offers good underthigh support. However, the cushioning of the seats feels a little hard in both the front and rear rows. The middle row bench, in particular comes with only one degree of recline, which impacts comfort to some extent, but regardless there is plenty of space to spread out and be comfortable. The large armrest and the headrests also help to quite an extent.

We expected the middle row to feel cramped with a third passenger, but that wasn't necessarily the case. With Julian entering the picture, the cabin didn't feel as cramped, and our shoulders were not really rubbing against each other. However, the performance of the A/C was a common complaint among all of us and we all felt that it wasn't cooling the cabin as well as it should. That said, while the second-row wasn't bad with three people on board, the passenger in the middle would definitely be more comfortable sitting alone in the third row.

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Speaking of the third row, while one can hardly expect things to be spacious there, it still wasn't quite as bad unlike some other 7 seaters. Yes, there was not much iunderthigh support, but legroom was just about adequate. The windows, however, are big enough to avoid making things claustrophobic, and there is also some space on the side to rest one arm. Also, thanks to the one-touch tumble function for the second-row seats, entry and exit to the third row is not very difficult. That said, this row is best left for young kids.

On the move, the steering provides good feedback; it does not feel too light, or too heavy either. However, first timers will take some time getting used to it. That said, it turns where you want it to easily, and not much effort is needed on that front. Around corners and quick lane changes, body roll is well contained and the car remains stable. The ride quality is quite great; it tackles speed breakers and bumps with a certain sophistication, and you will not get thrown around when going over bad roads.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine is a familiar unit, as we have seen it on cars like the Tata Harrier and the Safari. Paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission, the car feels effortless for its size, and it can continue to munch miles on the highway with zero stress. It will not appreciate being hustled, however, but long-distance cruising is where this engine will shine.

Since this is a Jeep, we have to talk about off-roading, and the Meridian has that in spades. Despite being a monocoque-chassis SUV, the Meridian is capable enough to take the unbeaten path. We ventured into the sands for some light off-roading and it felt just at home there as well, encouraging some sideways action.

The Jeep Meridian Overland comes equipped with ADAS, but surprisingly, despite having a 360-degree camera, the left side view does not really come on the reverse screen automatically, and one has to switch it on manually from the screen, so that is a small con.

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On the outside, the lower part of the front bumper is finished in body-paint, while also receiving the usual dosage of chrome. The grille inserts also receive chrome treatment, along with different 5-spoke alloy rims. The features on offer include a powered tailgate, a 9-speaker Alpine sound system, the 4x4 Selec-Terrain system, puddle lamps, and the the Level 2 ADAS suite, with things such as adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, blind spot detection, lane keep assist, speed assist, a 360-degree camera, and hill-hold.