The French carmaker, Citroen, has launched its all-new coupe SUV, Basalt at an introductory starting price of Rs. 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom). This introductory price will remain applicable for all bookings till 31st October. The Basalt is the fourth car under the brand’s C-Cubed programme after the C3, eC3, and C3 Aircross SUV. Essentially the coupe avatar of the C3 Aircross, the Basalt is underpinned by the same platform and carries many similarities in design and brings some features that will soon be offered with the C3 Aircross. The Basalt is to be produced in India and exported to South American markets. Here is everything you need to know about the Citroen Basalt.
Citroen Basalt: Design
The Basalt is 4,352 mm long, 1,765 mm wide, and 1,593 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,651 mm and a boot capacity of 470 litres. At first glance, the Basalt looks very similar to the C3 Aircross. For example, like the C3 Aircross, the Basal gets a split chromed grille, split headlamp setup, and the same V-shaped placement of the LED DRLs. Moreover, the front bumper gets a silver finish at the bottom with red accents, giving the face a sporty touch. Notably, the Basalt gets projector LED headlamps which soon will be added to the equipment list of the C3 Aircross. The side profile, however, is sportier than that of the C3 Aircross due to the sloping coupe-like roofline, squared-off wheel arches, pinched window line, side body cladding and stylish dual-tone gun-metal finished 16-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the panels are clean with stubby wraparound tail lamps, a chunky dual-tone bumper finished in black and silver, and a high-positioned boot lid. While the tail lamps are designed much like those of the C3 Aircross they are larger and feature new LED signatures.
The Citroen Basalt is available in five monotone colour options: Polar White, Steel Grey, Platinum Grey, Cosmo Blue, and Garnet Red. Whereas, the two dual-tone options include Polar White with a Platinum Grey roof, and Garnet Red with a Perla Nera Black roof.
Citroen Basalt: Interior & Features
Similarities with the C3 Aircross carry on to the inside as the Basalt gets the same dual tone dashboard, same screens – 10.25-inch touchscreen system and 7-inch digital instrument cluster, and same AC vents. However, adjustable thigh support, up to 87 mm, for the rear seats is a segment-first feature. In terms of features, the French SUV gets automatic climate control with rear AC vents, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a wireless charger. The safety equipment of the Basalt includes six airbags as standard, electronic stability control (ESC), a rear parking camera, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Citroen Basalt: Engine & Transmission
Citroen Basalt is offered with two engine options. One is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 82 PS and 115 Nm and is mated to a sole 5-speed manual gearbox. This engine is likely to be offered with the base variant only. The other is a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, which produces 110 PS and up to 250 Nm and is mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. With the naturally aspirated engine, the Basalt claims a mileage of 18 km/l, while the turbo engine is claimed to deliver 19.5 km/l with manual transmission and 18.7 km/l with automatic.
Citroen Basalt: Price & Rivals
As of now, Citroen has only revealed the introductory starting prices. The full price list is expected to be revealed in the coming days. In terms of competition, the Citroen Basalt will directly rival the upcoming ICE version of the Tata Curvv EV. It will also rival the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, MG Astor, and its own sibling, Citroen C3 Aircross.
