Citroen BASALT SUV Coupe – New Style, New Design, Does it have the Zing?
French car maker Citroen who has been a late entrant into the Indian car market has big plans in-store with their product and brand offensive. Considering the SUV market is saturated with big players already taken all the market share Citroen wants to create a new segment that of the SUV Coupe and for this they have their model the Basalt all set to launch soon. We had our exclusive opportunity to experience the Citroen Basalt in lovely wet Goa for our first drive review that gets you all on the youngest French in town.
Exteriors
The SUV Coupe body styling is something unseen here in India and that is the very reason that if you are driving the Basalt around you are bound to be noticed instantly. The styling of the car eludes the family Citroen face with the twin slat grill and the double chevron logo finished in glossy black with chrome on it. The bumper also gets glossy black insert with chrome outline and so does the air-dam area.
There also is a thick wide faux skid plate in silver that completes the SUV look on the face while the headlights get white glow and come with projector type lighting, the X style LED DRL certifies its existence from the French brand. The bonnet gets soft flex muscular character lines while the round fog lamps come with yellow glow.
The side profile is what makes the Basalt the Coupe in design. The wheel arches get squared out fiber inserts that mate with each other via the fiber cladding on the running board, the doors also get thick fiber inserts with slim small chrome element . The glass area is large and is blacked out while the door handles are lift type ones which should/could have been the more modern grab type ones.
Wing mirrors come with LED turn indicators and electric fold with adjust. The coupe key styling element is visible with the roof sloping sharply especially the rear glass that is placed at a sharp angle and is also integrated with the boot lid. The C pillar gets a black insert adorned with slim metal element that looks neat. The Basalt drives on 16 inch wheels mounted on multi spoke dual tone alloys. Ground clearance stands at 180mm and this is very much visible when you see the car from the sides.
The rear profile of the Basalt with the side profile differentiates it from a regular car and makes it a Coupe. The boot lid is high mounted and the rear glass is attached to it and opens up fully with the tailgate. The thick new design tail lamp extends itself into the side profile while the boot lid also gets a spoiler like design to its edge. The rear bumper gets black unpainted area lower down while like the front it also houses a large thick faux skid plate. The roof gets blacked-out along with a shark-fin antenna.
Interiors
Step inside the Basalt and you are welcomed into the familiar Citroen class cabin that will remind you of the C3 AirCross. The dashboard is finished in dual-tone color with vertically placed AC vents with chrome inserts. The crash-pad also gets a textured insert like the other Citroen models. The lower dash is finished in light beige shade. Plastic quality is much better than the earlier models from the lineup.
The Basalt also gets a single zone automatic climate control unit. You get USB charge points and Wireless mobile dock. There is loads of storage space, can holders in the center console while the transmission shifter is the one seen on the C3 AirCross with glossy black surrounds.
The center dash gets the proprietary Citron 10.20 inch touch screen AVN system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and all the connectivity options. The instrument screen is the 7 inch display same as the one seen on the C3 AirCross. The steering is a three spoke design with height adjust and leather wrapping. Seats get part fabric part faux leather upholstery. Driver’s seat comes with manual height adjust while the seats are very well designed they get excellent padding and offer some good support to the back.
The rear seats come with two adjustable head rests and a foldable center arm rest with cup holder. Rear occupants also get the comfort of rear AC vents with charge points. The biggest USP of the rear seat is the unique and industry first adjustable under thigh support that actually increases the comfort big time. Also unlike typical Coupe cars which have compromised or less head room, the Basalt has loads of it, leg room, knee room and the shoulder room is also excellent here.
The Basalt has a humongous 470 liters of boot space that is wide deep and very accommodative due to the rear windshield opening up fully.
Engine – Transmission – Drive
Powering the Citroen Basalt are two engine options that also power the other Citroen models namely the C3 and the C3 Aircross. You have the 1.2L 3-cylinder NA that makes 82PS and 115Nm of torque that comes mated with only the 5-speed manual transmission. You also have our favorite 1.2L 3-cylinder Turbo Petrol engine with 115PS of power and 190Nm with the 6-speed MT and 205Nm with the 6-speed automatic.
How is the Basalt to Drive?
Well Citroen cars are known for their ride quality and the drive DNA and the Basalt shines in all those departments easily. We drove the 1.2L Turbo engine manual which is a rocket and has a wide power band of torque available that literally propels the car to 140kmph just in the 3rd gear. The drive quality is excellent typical Citroen standard while the in cabin insulation is also pretty neat.
The driver’s visibility of the road ahead is excellent while the steering is tuned on the balanced side the clutch is a bit heavy but you get used to it soon. Power delivery is very good and the manual Basalt is super fun to drive. The automatic version is more convenient and is nicely mated to the amazing turbo engine but if you are an enthusiast we recommend the manual version to you.
The suspension tune up is the key hallmark of any Citroen and the Basalt gets it all right with the trademark Magic Carpet drive effect very much evident making this the best ride quality offering car model. Even though the Basalt is a long car with some good wheelbase but still body roll is negligible. Overall a very positive drive feel is what the Basalt has to offer.
Safety
Citroen has pulled up their socks in terms of safety now all their car models come with 6-airbags as standard, ABS with EBD and reverse camera with park sensors are also on the equipment list.
Verdict
Now with the Basalt Citroen is offering you a very unique body stule that is uncommon in India. The car does drive well and has an amazing engine also the ride quality is best in class. Yes it does miss out on a few features like the Start –stop button, ventilated seats, sunroof etc but makes up with its drive feel and pleasure. Also we are sure Citroen has a plan in mind by undercutting the competition with its pricing and that’s what everyone is also hoping for. We expect Citroen to price the Basalt starting at Rs. 8.99 Lakh till Rs. 12.99 Lakh which would make this a very tempting car model to get in this brand new SUV Coup segment.
