The Drive Report: Citroen Basalt

The Basalt is part of a new breed of compact SUVs that offer the sort of coupé-like styling popularised by luxury SUVs like the BMW X6, years ago.

Is the mid-size SUV really clamouring for the novelty of a coupé-SUV design? Jury’s out. At least until the likes of the Citroen Basalt (and its rival the Tata Curvv) are on sale. The latest offering from Citroen’s C-Cubed programme in India, the Basalt takes the core essentials of the C3 and C3 Aircross, adding a sloping roofline to the former and removing the novelty of three-row seating from the latter. Is the attempt to create a new niche in the midsize SUV market likely to work?

Design

The Basalt is part of a new breed of compact SUVs that offer the sort of coupé-like styling popularised by luxury SUVs like the BMW X6, years ago. Personally, I’ve always found the Coupé-SUV to be a chimaera that needn’t have been brought to existence, much less bred in this manner, but it’s 2024 and clearly nothing is off the table. The Basalt is pretty much what you’d expect it to be, a dead ringer for a C3 Aircross, save for a tapering roofline and square wheel arches (or rather squared-off cladding), new grille inserts and projector headlamps – the latter being the most functional change to the exterior.

The notchback design has more than a hint of the Mercedes-Benz GLC coupé to it. Not because of the pinched window line – that’s a distinct Basalt design feature, but the contouring of the tail gate, along with the shape of the halogen tail lamps suggests they’ve taken design cues from the best. There are also new 16-inch diamond-cut alloys but it seems like the smart money would be on the C3 Aircross which is a handsome and fuller looking SUV with greater utility.

On the inside, the dashboard is nearly identical to the Aircross’s. Noticeable changes include a new HVAC panel, toggle switches and an auto AC function instead of the manual one found in the Aircross. There’s also a front armrest with storage space, contoured rear headrests and adjustable thigh support for the rear passenger. The rest is pretty much what you’d find in an Aircross – a 10.25-inch centrally mounted, floating touchscreen, a 7-inch all-digital instrument cluster (in the higher-end variants), a wireless charging dock, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. What it continues to miss out on is keyless ignition (who needs it anyway?) an electronic parking brake and ventilated seats.

Citroen is going big on safety. Apart from mentioning that the chassis uses high strength steel for primary load carrying structures, it also comes with six airbags as standard along with ESP, Hill Hold and a tyre-pressure monitor.

Getting the fundamentals right

This is where the C3 platform truly excels. Sure it may not have all the bells and whistles that are par for the course with Korean alternatives, but the core essentials of driving, it absolutely nails. For starters, there’s the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol which is a fabulously engineered unit. It’s peppy and proves that 110 bhp can go a long way in hauling a compact SUV in a fairly brisk manner, allowing for easy overtakes and quick ascents to 100 kph should the need arise. It’s clearly a very studied and well calibrated engine, giving you exactly the amount of power you need on city roads, B-roads and, to a great extent, even highways. This can’t be said however, of the Citroen’s 1.2-litre NA unit, but that’s a story for another day. Given the performance that’s on offer here, along with the fact that Citroen offers a proper 6-speed torque converter instead of a CVT, what you’re getting for your money is a bargain.

Then there’s the ride quality. Regardless of the hyperbolic terminology Citroen has attached to its proprietary suspension, in the real world it works fabulously. It’s so well-sprung that every time you brace yourself for that bone crunching “thud” sound that comes from hitting a pothole, it floats over it with gentle reassurance. It stands to reason that whatever’s the core strength of the Aircross is the core strength of the Basalt. The seats both at the front and especially at the rear are so wonderfully contoured that some very expensive coupe-SUVs could take lessons in ergonomic comfort from them. Then there’s the effectiveness of the air-conditioner which is easily the best in its segment, and holds its own against far more expensive cars as well.

Verdict

Citroen India is a brand that has largely been slept on by Indian consumers. Perhaps it’s because of the lacklustre features list, or the patchwork service network – but the fact remains that it is a brand that is led by solid engineering and not marketing jargon.

The Basalt has clearly been positioned as the more comfort-oriented (especially for the rear passenger) alternative to the Aircross which is more utility oriented. It may not have a sunroof, it may not have a variety of pointless trifles that the competition offers. But it is the most comfortable and fun-to-drive car in its segment, leaving the ICE version of the Tata Nexon and its ilk, far behind in terms of refinement. With the added novelty of adjustable thigh support and a new set of headrests, the rear passenger is now more well cared for than before, and if there’s any reason to consider the Basalt over the Aircross, that would be it.