The American SUV maker, Jeep is positioning itself as the premium SUV maker in the Indian market. The company is selling the Compass mid-sized SUV and the Meridian 3-row SUV, which are available at a high price tag. Both SUVs failed to generate volumes for the automaker in India. It is expected that Jeep could add more features to these premium SUVs to drive sales in the highly competitive market.
Jeep has started testing the Meridian SUV with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). This suggests that the SUV could come equipped with ADAS along with other updates. The spotted model is a Bosch test vehicle, and this car could be used for Bosch’s research & testing. However, ADAS tech have to be altered to suit the size of the vehicles.
It is expected that Jeep Meridian could get an India-friendly ADAS tech. In fact, affordable mid-sized SUVs including the Tata Harrier/Safari, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate and the Mahindrra XUV700 are equipped with ADAS tech. The existing Meridian is equipped with standard safety features like ABS with EBD, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill start assist, and a 360 degree camera with parking sensors.
Jeep is currently offering ADAS tech in the Grand Cherokee, which comes with features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, high beam assist, autonomous emergency braking and others. The same tech is also expected to be offered on the Jeep Compass.
The Jeep Meridian 3-row SUV is currently available in the price bracket of Rs 33.40 lakh to Rs 39.46 lakh (ex-showroom). It is positioned against the likes of the MG Gloster, Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Taigun and the Toyota Fortuner. The addition of ADAS tech will certainly increase the prices of Jeep Meridian and the Compass.
