Sunday Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Coming in strong

The timing couldn’t be better. The Jeep Meridian arrives as the 7-seater category is seeing fresh action, and soon after the exit of the Ford Endeavour. But most importantly, the Meridian is Jeep’s second mainstream model in India. Until now, the Compass—launched way back in 2017—was the company’s sole pillar in India, on whose shoulders rested the fortunes of the company. Niche models like the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee are good for image, but Jeep needed another mainstream model to gain critical mass in the fast-evolving and growing Indian SUV market.