The Citroen Basalt will be launched in India in the second half of 2024.Ahead of its launch, the production-ready Basalt coupe SUV has been spotted undisguised on Indian roads. The spotted vehicle closely resembles the Basalt Vision concept and the test mule seems to be a mid-spec variant, missing out on certain features such as the projector LED headlight, LED tail lamps and alloy wheels seen on the Basalt Vision concept. It’s expected that the Coupe SUV will likely come in a higher-end trim level with all the bells and whistles.
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In terms of design, the front facia of the Basalt looks very similar to the existing C3 and C3 Aircross. It features a different finish for the grille inserts and you also get the same chrome-lined Citroen logo at the top and a two-part grille and a faux silver skid plate. The design of the LED DRLs and the bonnet remains the same. On the sides, the spied model features steel wheels. But the top-of-the-like variant will likely get multi-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. It also gets more prominent squared-off wheel arches.
The Citroen Basalt SUV retains the pull-type door handles and the pinched window line smoothly flows to meet the boot. At the rear, the boot lid is positioned higher than the bonnet and it features a stubby rear end with clean surfacing. It also gets wraparound taillamps with a chunky silver skid plate, shark fin antenna and dual-tone bumper finished in black and silver. The coupe-SUV styling is similar to what we’ve seen on the BMW X6 and that’s a great thing as people in the mass-market segments will finally have a chance to experience a new body design.
The interior of the coupe SUV has not been revealed but we expect it to be in line with the rest of the C3 range with some improvements. It’s expected to get a large touchscreen infotainment with a fully digital instrument cluster. Other expected features include automatic climate control, connected car tech, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, electric ORVMs, push-button start, rear AC vents, cruise control and more. Also, expect significantly better fit and finish along with improved material quality considering the focus of the brand on improving the cabin experience of Indian models.
Talking about the powertrain, the Citroen Basalt could get the same 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged Petrol engine with 110 hp and 190 Nm torque. Gearbox options will include a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The CotroenCitroen Basalt will be launched in India in the second half of 2024 and as mentioned before it will directly go up against the upcoming Tata Curvv. The new Basalt will also rival the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Volkswagen Taigun, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, and Honda Elevate. We expect a starting price of around Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom).
Image source: Instagram/1dgasm
