- Will likely be positioned below the C3 Aircross
- First coupe SUV in the mass-market
Citroen India unveiled the Basalt, the first entrant in the coupe SUV business, earlier this month. The details, including the features, exterior design, and powertrain options, are already out except for the prices and variants. Now, the French automaker is all set to reveal the prices of the Tata Curvv-rival tomorrow, 9 August, 2024.
On the outside, the Basalt carries most of the design elements from the C3 Aircross, including the split LED DRLs, chrome strips that form the brand’s logo, fascia, and flip door handles. However, it has a unique design identity with its sloping roofline, redesigned LED taillamps with a 3D effect, squared wheel arches with 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, and a raked rear windscreen attributing to its coupe nature.
Inside, the Basalt gets a dashboard layout similar to that of the C3 Aircross with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, seven-inch digital instrument cluster, and a manual IRVM. As for the new features, the Basalt benefits from a wireless charger, slideable front armrest, automatic climate control, LED headlamps, and adjustable thigh support and winged headrests for rear seats. Moreover, all the variants will be offered with six airbags as standard across the range.
Mechanically, the Citroen Basalt make use of the brand’s Gen 3 PureTech 1.2-litre petrol engine in NA and turbo guise. Both motors are three-cylinder and are capable of producing 80bhp/115Nm and 109bhp/190Nm, respectively. As for the transmission options, while the NA engine is paired only with a five-speed manual gearbox, the turbocharged petrol motor is coupled with a six-speed manual and an automatic torque converter unit.
We expect the Basalt to have a slightly lesser starting ex-showroom price compared to the C3 Aircross With this, the coupe SUV will likely be positioned between the C3 and the C3 Aircross. As for the competition, the Basalt have a primary rival in the form of the Tata Curvv, however, it will also compete against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate, MG Astor, Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, and the Mahindra XUV 3XO.
