BHPian Axe77 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Compass owner’s comparison review:

Having been blasted with pre-launch images of the Meridian, I was under the impression that Jeep’s new 7-seater would simply be a stretched Compass. After seeing it in the flesh, I realised that Jeep has indeed moved its Compass from magnetic north to geodetic north.

Though there are fingerprints of the Compass on the design, the Meridian has its own identity and character. It is a different SUV! Some of the new design elements, such as the front grill, sunken groove on the bonnet and the slit taillights, add a touch of modernity and are a refreshing departure from the Compass’ five plus year aging, but somewhat timeless design. However, I feel that the Meridian would have looked better without the chrome accents.

I’ve now driven the Compass and Meridian back to back on two occasions. Once with the test drive cars of Jeep and the other time was my pal’s Compass and my Meridian:

Overall, there is no doubt that the Meridian does improve on the Compass in many important areas. Its just that in terms of segment and price differentiation, that difference is not worth the 8L difference in the asking on road price. At best a 3/3.5L difference between the two would be justifiable in my opinion. This is particularly relevant given that the Compass itself is overpriced to begin with.

The Compass and Meridian side by side comparo. While the front is reasonably similar, the rear is chalk and cheese. The Meridian is much more Grand Cherokee than Compass when viewed from behind. The Meridian bonnet has a slightly different scoop design than the Compass.

A comparo of the length of the two cars. Note the effect of the Meridian's chrome vs the grey bits of the Compass. Even the “Meridian” tag on the front door is in chrome where the Compass lettering is in grey. The understated grey contrast looks so much more classy.

Both models sport great alloy designs - I liked the Meridian ones a bit more though.

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