COMPASS + 2 = MERIDIAN

The new seven-seat Jeep SUV’s name has a few meanings and one of them is ‘pinnacle’, but is it so?

- Rivan RS

I have to admit I really like the name Jeep Meridian. It is consistent with Jeep’s geography-based nomenclature (like the Compass), and means more than just that. The word meridian is a versatile one, and could be used synonymously with zenith, pinnacle, peak, and apex. We were invited to take the soon-to-launch Meridian on a drive around Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, to find out what aspects of Jeep’s new seven-seat SUV are apt to the name. Being a Jeep, there was the mandatory off-road track arranged as well.

When I first laid eyes on the Meridian in the flesh, it looked much bigger than the Compass, especially around the middle. Yes, it is 364mm longer, 41-mm wider, 58-mm taller and has a wheelbase that’s 146-mm longer, but the stretched seven-slat grille, and the slimmer headlights give the impression that it’s much wider. It’s a nice look on what is essentially an elongated Compass. It’s also quite noticeable that there is quite a bit of length behind the rear wheel, though — as with the Compass — my OCD kicked in when I saw that the rear wheel and the wheel well aren’t aligned quite right.