Much-awaited Citroen Basalt Launched In India At Rs 7.99 Lakh

Quick Highlights

• Citroen Basalt SUV coupe launched at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
• Available in three broad trims: You, Plus and Max. 
• Sports an SUV coupe design with certain design elements taken from C3 and C3 Aircross.
• Gets a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch digital driver’s display, and automatic climate control.
• Gets an 82 PS 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine and a 110 PS 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine.
• Available in 5 monotone and 2 dual-tone shades. 
• It will rival the upcoming Tata Curvv. 

Exactly a week after its reveal, the Citroen Basalt has been launched on our shores, which will retail from Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom). You can have it in three broad trims -- You, Plus and Max -- and seven colour options, including 5 monotone and 2 dualtone hues. Bookings are already open for the Basalt at dealerships across the country. 

For now, Citroen India has revealed the Basalt's entry-level price only. However, we opened up the configurator, which showed us that the top-end turbo-petrol Max automatic variant is priced at Rs 13.57 lakh (ex-showroom), which is what is around the same range we were expecting the Basalt to top out at. Detailed variant-wise prices are expected to be out in the coming days. 

Citroen Basalt: Exterior Design 

The front looks identical to the C3 Aircross, with minor design tweaks. It sports a split LED DRL setup, below which you can spot the LED projector headlamps. It gets squared-off elements in the grille and aggressively styled bumpers giving it a sporty look. You also get round fog lamps, placed in the lower section of the bumper. 

The real highlight of its design are the sides, where you get to see a sloping roofline, which merges neatly into the rear. The 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels dial up the sportiness quotient of the SUV. 

Also Read: Citroen Basalt: All You Need To Know In 10 Images

It is available in 5 monotone and 2 dualtone colour options: Polar White, Platinum Grey, Cosmo Blue, Steel Grey, and Garnet Red, Polar White with a grey roof (dualtone) and Garnet Red with a black roof (dualtone). 

From the rear, you notice the wraparound LED tail lamps, which gives it a distinctive look, when you compare with other modern cars that are following the trend of offering connected tail lights setup. Adding a hint of sportiness to the rear is the shark fin antenna and the chunky looking silver skid plate. 

Here’s a look at its dimensions: 

Citroen Basalt: Interior Design 

Step inside and you will notice that the dashboard layout remains identical to the C3 and C3 Aircross, but features a different colour theme. Taking up the centre space is the large 10.2-inch infotainment system, placed above the AC vents, which have a silver finish to them. Overall the dashboard has a minimalist design, but is flanked by chunky looking AC vents. 

A segment-first feature available in the second row is the option to move the base of seats by 87 mm, for increasing the under thigh support as per your convenience.

Citroen Basalt: Features 

The features on board include, a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch digital driver’s display, automatic climate control with rear AC vents, wireless phone charger and steering mounted audio controls. 

In terms of safety, it gets 6 airbags, rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and a rear parking camera. 

While it is decently equipped, it does miss out on certain features like the sunroof, a 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, and front parking sensors. Citroen should have at least offered these additions with the top-spec variants. 

Citroen Basalt: Powertrain

The Basalt is offered with the same powertrain options as the C3 hatchback., It gets two petrol engines and the availability of an automatic transmission with the more potent engine. Here’s a look at the details: 

Citroen Basalt: Rivals 

The Citroen Basalt will rival the upcoming Tata Curvv, which will be launched on September 2, 2024. It will also be an alternative to conventionally designed compact SUVs such as, the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Honda Elevate, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Skoda Kushaq, and VW Taigun.

What do you think about the Citroen Basalt? Let us know in the comments.