Citroen Basalt Coupe SUV to Launch on August 9 in India

Citroen will launch its new Basalt coupe-SUV on August 9 in India. Upon launch, the Citroen Basalt will be the company's fourth model for India under the C-Cubed plan and will rival the upcoming Tata Curvv coupe-SUV in the mass-market SUV segment. The latter will be launched on September 2, 2024. 

The Citroen Basalt, which sits on the same Stellantis Smart Car platform that underpins the C3 and the C3 Aircross, looks very similar to the C3 Aircross from the front. But, it appears quite different in profile with its new alloys as well as a sloping roofline extending down to the boot lid and merging with a sizeable tailboard. On the back, the model gets wraparound LED tail lamps, a silver skid plate, and a dual-tone bumper. The Basalt is also similar to the C3 Aircross in terms of size, measuring about 4,300mm in length. 

Also Read: Tata Curvv-Rival Citroen Basalt Coupe SUV Unveiled in India Ahead of Launch

Citroen Basalt: Interior, Features 

Revealed last week, the Citroen Basalt carries over the dashboard from the C3 Aircross. The latter's dashboard features a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display. Aside from that, the Basalt gets electric folding mirrors, keyless entry, automatic climate control, a 15W wireless smartphone charger, and push-button start/stop. A major highlight is that the rear bench seat has adjustable thigh support, a segment-first feature. 

Safety-wise, Citroen has equipped the Basalt with a 360-degree camera, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill-hold assist, six airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a rear parking camera, and an electronic stability control (ESC). 

Citroen Basalt: Powertrain

The Citroen Basalt employs two engine options – a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated. The former produces 108bhp and 205Nm, while the latter makes 81bhp and 115Nm. The naturally aspirated unit is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the turbo-petrol engine also gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic. 

While the turbo-petrol engine yields 19.5km/l with a manual gearbox and 18.7km/l with an automatic, the naturally aspirated petrol engine delivers 18km/l of fuel efficiency.

Also Read: Citroen C3, C3 Aircross Get LED Projector Headlamps, Automatic Climate Control, Six Airbags and More

In Citroen India's lineup, the Basalt will be positioned above the C3 Aircross. Therefore, it will be more expensive than the Aircross (Rs 9.99 lakh–Rs 14.11 lakh). In terms of market competition, the coupe-SUV will take on the Tata Curvv, Hyundai Creta, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Kia Seltos, and the MG Astor.