Citroën has finally unveiled India’s production-spec Basalt coupe-SUV, having shown us the first batch of design concepts in March. This is the fourth model based on Citroen’s C-Cubed programme, designed exclusively for India, and will also be offered in South American and European countries. The Basalt represents a new coupe-SUV niche in the competitive midsize SUV sector.
Citroen Basalt: Exterior
Citroen Basalt’s exterior design is undoubtedly its most striking feature, with a drastically retreating coupe roofline. The Basalt looks similar to the C3 Aircross at the front, with the same chrome Chevron emblems, split grille, and faux silver skid plate. While the C3 Aircross has halogen headlamps, the Basalt has projector LEDs, while the LED DRLs remain the same.
Apart from the coupe silhouette, the 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels stand out on the side profile. The rear end features a large dual-tone bumper, and wraparound LED taillights with a 3D impression. Most of the design is identical to the photographs revealed a few months ago, with the sole change being black plastic cladding on the wheel arches and door sills.
Citroen offers the Basalt in five exterior color schemes: Polar White, Steel Grey, Platinum Grey, Cosmo Blue, and Garnet Red. Dual-tone schemes with a contrasting black roof are available in white and red.
Citroen Basalt: Interior
The Basalt cabin has a five-seater design, with the rear seats featuring a fixed headrest, armrest, and cup holders. The interior is decorated in light beige, giving the vehicle an airy vibe. The new Citroen Basalt boasts a 10.25-inch infotainment system, a 7-inch digital instrument panel, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, navigation, climate control, wireless charging, a digital instrument cluster, and more.
Standard safety features include six airbags, ESP, a hill-hold assist, and a tyre pressure monitor. Citroen claims 470 litres of boot space in Basalt. It has air conditioning vents for the back passengers on the roof and behind the front center armrest.
Citroen Basalt: Powertrain
The Basalt is powered by two 1.2-litre petrol engines. There’s an 82hp, 115Nm normally aspirated unit and a 110hp turbo-petrol engine. The turbo-petrol engine is coupled to either a 6-speed manual gearbox (190Nm) or a 6-speed torque converter automatic (205Nm), whereas the NA unit only has a 5-speed manual transmission.
Citroen claims fuel economy values of 18kmpl for the NA petrol, 19.5kmpl for the turbo-petrol manual, and 18.7kmpl for the turbo-petrol automatic.
Coming to its rivals, the Basalt’s introduction coincides with the Tata Curvv coupe-SUV, which is its most direct rival in the midsize SUV segment apart from traditional SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos.
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