Jeep India launches SUV Meridian

Jeep India, a part of the automotive group Stellantis, on Tuesday introduced its new SUV Meridian and the deliveries will begin in June 2022.

The Meridian is the company's first three-row SUV designed and engineered specifically for India. It will come with a 2-litre turbo diesel engine with nine speed automatic and six speed manual transmission options, the company said.

The model is among the three new products along with Grand Cherokee and Compass Trailhawk that are being launched in India this year.

The company had launched the Compass Trailhawk in February at an introductory price of Rs 30.72 lakh (ex-showroom).

Stellantis India CEO & Managing Director Roland Bouchara said all these will be produced from the company's Ranjangaon plant in Maharashtra and shows the company's commitment to the Indian market.

In a virtual conference, he said 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.

He said the company sees India as an export hub and the Meridian will also be exported to countries in the Asia Pacific Region, including Japan and South Korea as it has been doing for the Compass model.

When asked about the sales expectations from the Meridian, Bouchara said it is difficult to forecast as "COVID is still not behind us".

However, he said the model will become a key player in the premium SUV segment, which is currently dominated by Toyota Fortuner.

Commenting on the EV strategy for India, Bouchara said Stellantis is following the market development closely.

Last year, Stellantis had announced plans to invest more than 30 billion through 2025 on electrification of its vehicle line up globally.