Citroen Basalt will be underpinned by the CMP platform and it will derive power from a 1.2L turbo petrol engine, paired with manual or automatic transmission option
Citroen has released the first teaser image of its forthcoming SUV coupe ahead of its debut on March 27, 2024. Christened the Citroen Basalt, it will go on sale in India in the coming months to compete with the Tata Curvv ICE which is bound for H2 2024. It will be positioned above the C3 Aircross in the brand’s domestic lineup.
The India-specific Citroen Basalt will be more premium than the C3 Aircross as its features list is expected to arrive packed right from the get-go. It will have several commonalities with its midsize SUV sibling, which competes with Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and the likes, and is sold in both five- and seven-seater configurations in India.
The teaser image shows the presence of a coupe-like silhouette that stretches to form a lift-back styled boot. The tail lamp design also looks sporty and the front fascia will adopt the signature styling cues synonymous with the French brand and we do expect colour co-ordinated touches inside and out to add a modern and sporty vibe into the mix.
The Basalt will be underpinned by the heavily localised CMP platform, found in the C3 compact hatchback and the C3 Aircross. Thus, it will more likely be priced in a competitive manner with the base variant costing around Rs. 13.5-14 lakh (ex-showroom). It will be equipped with the familiar 1.2L three-cylinder turbo petrol engine kicking out 110 PS maximum power.
The powertrain will be linked with a manual or an automatic transmission. The Citroen Basalt is expected to boast a rugged and sporty exterior design, high ground clearance and a large boot to ensure high practicality standards. The interior will feature a large touchscreen infotainment system, an all-digital instrument console, flat-bottom steering wheel and much more.
Some of the features that glaring miss on the C3 and C3 Aircross will likely be available with the Citroen Basalt. It could act as the turnaround the brand has been looking for as the C3 and C3 Aircross haven’t posted good sales numbers.