Citroen Basalt will be equipped with a 1.2L three-cylinder turbo petrol engine producing 110 PS maximum power; will launch in the coming months
Citroen India unveiled the Basalt Vision SUV coupe concept in late March 2024 and its production version will be launched in India in the coming months. It will become the third SUV offering from the French manufacturer following the C5 Aircross and the C3 Aircross. The Basalt will have several commonalities with the latter including the platform.
The brand already sells the C3 compact hatchback and eC3 electric compact hatchback along with the two aforementioned SUVs in India. Ahead of its market launch, the production of the Basalt has commenced at Citroen’s plant in Tamil Nadu and it will directly compete with the Tata Curvv midsize SUV coupe, bound for this calendar year as well.
Tata will launch the electric version of the Curvv in the coming months before the arrival of the ICE variant while Citroen is expected to bring in an EV based on the Basalt in the near future. The IC-engined Basalt will also take on popular midsize SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, VW Taigun, Honda Elevate, etc.
The Citroen Basalt is expected to boast more premium features than the C3 Aircross and it will have an overall length of around 4.3 metres, which is the segment’s standard. However, its tall stance and coupe-like roofline will create a distinction amongst the sea of other midsize SUVs and the exterior follows the latest design philosophy adopted by the brand globally.
The production model will be almost similar to the concept and it will derive power from a 1.2L three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine developing a maximum power output of 110 PS and 190 Nm of peak torque torque as in the C3 Aircross. A six-speed manual as well as a six-speed torque converter automatic unit will likely be transmission options.
The equipment list will comprise a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, an all-digital instrument console, automatic climate control, multiple airbags and much more.
