The Jeep Meridian has recently been treated with a mild facelift and a bunch of feature upgrades as part of a 2025 revamp. With a starting price of ₹24.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the SUV is available in four distinct trim levels. When it was originally launched on our shores in 2022, it had essentially arrived to challenge the undisputed crown bearer of large SUVs, the Toyota Fortuner. 

With this update, the three-row Meridian aims to continue its battle for the top spot in the category. If you are interested in purchasing a large SUV in India, here is a detailed comparison of the features and specifications between the updated Jeep Meridian and the Toyota Fortuner:

Jeep Meridian vs Toyota Fortuner: Exterior design

The 2025 Jeep Meridian features a redesigned front fascia with black strips underneath the LED headlamps. The car gets fitted with a chrome strip that runs across underneath the traditional seven-slot grille and cuts through the fog lamps. The rear end features LED taillights with satin chrome accents and are connected with a horizontal bar. The side profile has been updated with trapezoidal wheel arches. 

The Toyota Fortuner features split LEDs for the rear tail lamps, LED DRLs in the front, and gives off a demanding road presence. It features a trapezoid front grille with chrome highlights and gets a skid plate for its front bumper. The Japanese automaker additionally offers the special Fortuner Legender trim which is priced from ₹43.66 lakh (ex-showroom) and features a sharper front fascia with distinctive LED headlamps that look more aggressive than on the regular model. This trim gets a new fog lamp design as well as a new two-part front grille. 

Jeep Meridian vs Toyota Fortuner: Interior and comfort

The 2025 Meridian is available in five or seven-seater configurations and comes with a new vegan leather interior and suede interior. The seats, dashboard, and armrests have been covered in soft-touch materials. In the front row, both the driver and the passenger are treated with 12-way powered and ventilated seats. The cabin features dual-zone auto climate control and a dual-pane panoramic sunroof. 

The seven-seater Fortuner treats its occupants with perforated leather seats with ventilation functionality for the front row. There are two interior colour options and the cabin is wrapped in soft materials, metallic accents, and features wooden inserts. Passengers are treated with dual-zone auto climate control with rear AC vents. While front seats are powered, second row features one-touch tumble and the third row seats get one-touch recline functionality. 

Jeep Meridian vs Toyota Fortuner: Tech features and convenience

The updated Meridian comes with a customisable 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment with integrated navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The cabin includes a wireless charging slot alongside multiple USB ports. The Meridian gets an upgraded connectivity suite with Uconnect that features automatic SOS calls, diagnostic reports with alerts, Alexa home-to-vehicle, remote engine start/stop, weather and incident updates, and OTA firmware updates.

The Fortuner features an eight-inch digital infotainment display that allows for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The petrol versions come with a six-speaker audio system, while the diesel variants are equipped with an eleven-speaker setup from JBL. The SUV includes wireless charging and a cooled upper glovebox. Additionally, the Fortuner features Connected Car Technology, which includes functionalities such as geo-fencing, real-time vehicle tracking, booking service appointments, and generating diagnostic reports.

Jeep Meridian vs Toyota Fortuner: Performance and power figures

The Meridian gets driven by the same 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that powered the outgoing model. This unit makes 168 bhp at 3,750 rpm and 350 Nm of torque between 1,750-2,500 rpm.

The Toyota Fortuner comes with two engine options: petrol and diesel, with the latter offering two different torque ratings. The 2.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 163 bhp and 245 Nm of torque, and is offered with either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. The 2.8-litre diesel engine can deliver 201 bhp. This diesel variant generates 420 Nm of torque with the manual transmission, while the automatic version makes 500 Nm.

Suggested watch: Jeep Meridian | First Drive Review

Jeep Meridian vs Toyota Fortuner: Safety features

The Meridian in its top trim offers ADAS that works according to a front radar and camera-based system. With this, the Jeep offers adaptive cruise control, forward collision detection with collision mitigation braking, lane driving aids, a surround-view monitor, blind-spot detection, and driver attention warning alerts. 

The Toyota Fortuner SUV has earned a five-star safety rating from ASEAN NCAP and includes multiple safety features. It is equipped with stability control paired with brake assist, traction control, and seven airbags. The front row gets Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) concept seats, which aim to reduce the risk of neck injuries in the event of an accident. Additionally, the SUV comes with ABS and EBD, along with ISOFIX anchors in the second row for securing child seats.

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