After multiple teasers and design sketches, Citroen has finally unveiled the all-new Basalt in its final production-spec avatar. It is the fourth model from the French carmaker in India to be based on the CMP (common modular platform) architecture after C3, eC3, and C3 Aircross. This model will also be exported to South American and European markets.
Like C3 Aircross, Basalt is likely to be offered in three variants— You, Plus, and Max. Bookings for the SUV are already underway for Rs 25,000 at an authorised Citroen dealership across India.
Citroen Basalt: Exterior design
The exterior design of Citroen Basalt is undoubtedly its biggest highlight with a sharply receding roofline of a coupe. Up front, the Basalt bears a strong resemblance to the C3 Aircross, sharing the same chrome Chevron emblem, split grille, and faux silver skid plate. While the C3 Aircross features halogen headlamps, the Basalt has upgraded to projector LED units, although the LED DRLs remain identical.
Besides the coupe silhouette, the 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels stand out in its side profile. The rear end flaunts a chunky, dual-tone bumper and wraparound LED taillights with 3D effect. Most of the design is identical to the images shared a few months back, the only addition being the black plastic claddings on wheel arches and door sills.
Citroen is offering the Basaly in five exterior colour schemes namely— Polar White, Steel Grey, Platinum Grey, Cosmo Blue and Garnet Red. Dual-tone schemes with a contrast black roof are available with the white and red paint options.
Citroen Basalt: Interiors & Features
The cabin of Basalt gets a five-seater configuration with the rear seats getting a fixed headrest with an armrest and cup holders. The interior is finished in light beige, giving the cabin an airy feel. In terms of features, the new Citroen Basalt gets a 10.25-inch infotainment system, 7-inch digital instrument console, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, navigation, climate control, wireless charging, a digital instrument cluster, and more.
Standard safety features on offer will include six airbags, ESP, hill-hold assist and a tyre pressure monitor as standard. Citroen claims a boot space of 470 litres in Basalt. It gets AC vents for the rear passengers both on the roof and behind the front centre armrest.
Citroen Basalt: Powertrain specs
Citroen says that Basalt will be available with two petrol engine options– a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated unit and a 1.2-litre turbocharged unit. The former kicks out 81 bhp and 115 Nm of peak torque and is mated exclusively to a 5-speed manual gearbox. On the other hand, the latter kicks out 109 bhp and 190 Nm (205 Nm in AT) of torque while being paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic.
Citroen claims fuel-efficiency figures of 18 kmpl for the NA unit, 19.5kmpl for the turbo-petrol manual and 18.7 kmpl for the turbo-petrol automatic.
Citroen Basalt: Price & Rivals
Citroen is yet to officially announce prices for the Basal but given the miss outs in features, we expect it to be priced aggressively undercutting its present rivals like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser HyRyder, MG Astor, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, and Honda Elevate.
