Citroen Basalt launch, first drive review, price, performance, interior and features – Introduction -DellyRanks

The Basalt is Citroen’s fifth offering in India, named after an igneous rock formed due to activities caused by serious geological pressure. Speaking of pressure, over its five-year existence in the country, the French carmaker is under some, having failed to make an impression on the sales charts, mainly due to poor product planning. However with the Basalt, the company seems to have taken corrective measures, which is why this mould-breaking coupe covers the basics, and reflects Citroen’s seriousness and effort to boost its premium quotient. Has Citroen got it right this time around?

Citroen Basalt Platform, Design, Dimensions

The Basalt is based on a heavily localised CMP platform which also underpins the C3 cross-hatchback, C3 Aircross SUV and eC3 EV. To keep costs in check, its 98 percent localised and there a generous amount of part-sharing between the models, to the extent, the frontal half of the Basalt is shared with its platform mates and you’ll notice a prominent demarcation extending from the B-pillar to the roof, showing where the differences begin. The bonnet, front fenders, windscreen, A-pillar and front doors are the common components.

But while the Basalt carries off the family face with a double Chevron logo on its grille and Y-shaped DRLs, it gets some revisions to the lower half of the bumper. In line with its crossover-esque image, it gets thick plastic body cladding which has been squared-off around the wheel arches and the car boasts of a 180mm ground clearance. Its 16-inch wheels however come across a size too small, and because the tyres don’t sit flush with its body, and it appears under tyred from certain angles.

The rear of the Basalt has been beautifully styled and features a coupe-like sloping roof, a window line that’s pinched towards the rear and bold character lines which neatly blend into the sculpted tail lamps. Furthermore, designers have sculpted twin humps on the roof to cover the boot hinges which look like cool aero aids. The steeply sloping rear windscreen ends in a stubby boot with an integrated spoiler.

16-inch wheels are dwarfed by the oversized body cladding; tyres don’t sit flush with its body.

The Basalt is 4,352mm in length, 1,765mm in width and 1,593mm in height. Interestingly, its 2,651mm wheelbase is different from the C3 twins, which stands at 2,640mm for the C3 and 2,671mm for the C3 Aircross.

Citroen Basalt Interior

Unlike the antiquated single key the Basalt now gets a flip-type remote key, however you still have to contend with the flap-style door handle and bear the sight of the old-school keyhole on the driver’s door. But, from hereon there’s a lot to like inside. Even though the cabin is familiar in terms of its design and layout, a light beige colours scheme with champagne-coloured trims and large greenhouse brightens the ambience and lends an airy feel. The use of soft-touch materials on the dash facia, its climate control panel, part-leatherette upholstery and a new armrest console adds an upmarket feel. What’s more is the quality of some bits, like the roof liner, have improved too.

Overall design and layout is familiar, but interior quality feels better than its platform mates.

Another corrective measure in the cabin is the placement of its power window switches which are on the door pads, where they’re supposed to be; to save the cost of two switches the C3 twins had the rear power window switches placed in the center console shared between the front and rear. As far as ergonomics go, the Basalt is pretty sorted. The front seats are very comfortable and finding the right driving position is quite easy; although the steering gets a tilt function (but misses telescopic adjustment). There’s also a sliding armrest for the comfort of the driver and front passenger.

Rear seat is spacious; no load sensors here, so seatbelt warning buzzes at the start of every journey.

There’s a lot to pamper rear occupants. The backrest is nicely angled and the seat cushioning is well judged. Enhancing comfort further are two adjustable concave shaped headrests, which if you’re napping will prevent your head from sliding off. In addition, the top-spec automatic version features unique adjustable thigh support extensions, which raise and lock in four steps. For some, the seat squab might hamper comfort even at level 0 as it protrodes a bit, however others might find this feature very useful. The rear seat in the manual version (without this feature) is equally, if not more comfortable, due to a more natural, flat seat squab. Annoyingly, there are no load sensors, so even in the absence of rear seat occupants, you will be forced to fasten the belts, else the seatbelt reminder will buzz for a few seconds at the start of every journey.

Some might find the adjustable thigh support a bit raised even at level 0, which could hamper comfort.

It gets a large segmented parcel shelf that is also rearward sloping to prevent small, loose objects from flying into the cabin in the event of rapid deceleration. What’s also nice is that the entire boot lid opens, including the rear windscreen, to a cavernous 470-litre cargo carrying capacity.

Citroen Basalt Features

Citroen has finally covered the basics with kit like LED headlamps, 16-inch alloys, power-folding mirrors, auto climate control, floor mounted rear AC vents and a wireless charging pad with a rubberised base to prevent a phone from sliding. Its digital cluster is carried over from the C3 Aircross which is easy to read, but some more customisable screens would have been welcome. The 10.2-inch free-standing touchscreen has also been carried forward with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which works seamlessly; sound quality from its 6-speaker setup is surprisingly good even more so when you consider it’s a non-branded unit. Appreciably, Citroen offers safety kit like 6 airbags, ESP, hill-hold assist and tyre pressure monitor as standard with the Basalt.

Wireless charging with a rubberised base prevents your smartphone from sliding around.

But even though the company has covered the basics, it still misses a sunroof, auto dimming inside mirror, ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera, keyless entry and start-stop button, cruise control and telescopic steering adjustment; features that are offered with most of the others in its segment and even below.

Citroen Basalt Engine, Performance

The Basalt gets two powertrain options. There’s an 82hp/115Nm 3-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Then there’s a 110hp 3-cylinder 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine (as tested), which makes 190Nm with the 6-speed manual and 205Nm with the 6-speed auto transmission. The turbo-manual is the most fuel efficient with a claimed efficiency of 19.5kpl; but this can drop far more in the real world, the turbo-automatic’s mileage is 18.7kpl; and the petrol-manual follows at a claimed 18kpl.

Crisp accelerator responses and nicely-judged gear ratios help mitigate turbo-lag below 2,000rpm. 

Coming to the three-cylinder turbo, its characteristic is similar to the C3 twins. So it isn’t completely vibration-free to start with, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll notice the engine flutter on its mounts during idle. However, these vibrations settle down on the move, and from thereon, there’s a lot to like starting with the engine’s responsive character. Unlike many cars where the throttle feels dulled down in the interest of fuel economy, the Basalt’s crisp accelerator responses coupled with its nicely-judged gear ratios do well to mitigate turbo-lag below 2000rpm. And once the turbo is singing, performance is brisk, and overtakes feel effortless and progress rapid. But spin this motor hard, and it gets fairly vocal inside the cabin, and while the sound isn’t coarse or unrefined, it is loud enough to coax you to keep the revs lower.

In the manual, the Basalt produces 190Nm of max torque, the difference in torque in the real world is barely perceptible though. Turbo lag however is noticeable, especially if you’re caught in the wrong gear and let the revs drop below 2000rpm. The 6-speed manual itself is a sure-slotting gearbox with well-defined gates and an effort-free action, but gear shifts aren’t buttery-smooth like in some Japanese or Korean rivals out there. If you’re paying close attention, you’ll hear a faint transmission whine from the gearbox every time while decelerating. The clutch feels progressive but it’s a bit weighty.

Comfort-oriented suspension makes it the best-riding offering based on the C-Cubed platform.

The automatic is a six-speed Aisin torque converter, which does duty on several other cars in the market. What’s immediately noticeable is its eager creep function that gives you a sense of power when you lift off the brake pedal in D. The shifts aren’t seamless and you will notice the torque converter shifting through ratios, especially in lower gears. And on Goa’s hilly roads, the gearbox got confused at times and kept hunting for the correct gear. In manual mode – through the tip lever – however, this automatic performs much better and is very smooth through the ratios. Steering mounted paddle shifters would have been a welcome addition here.

Citroen Basalt Ride Comfort, Handling

Ride comfort has always been Citroen’s forte, and we’re happy to report that the Basalt meets the high expectations. Its suspension has been tuned for comfort, and even though it doesn’t feature the hydraulic bump stops like in the flagship C5 Aircross, its bump absorption capability is second to none on this side of Rs 20 lakh. In fact because of its lower centre of gravity, Citroen engineers have gone even softer on the suspension rebound, and as a result, the Basalt is the best riding car based on the C-Cubed platform. It soaks up road imperfections and bad roads very nicely, and what’s also nice is that passengers don’t feel sharp movements or side-to-side rocking movements while going over a battered section of roads. But with the overly soft, comfort-oriented suspension there’s prominent nose dive on braking, and you can feel some floatiness while cruising at highway speeds especially at the rear.

Its sharp steering and impressive mechanical grip make the Basalt rather enjoyable to drive.

The Basalt’s steering is on the heavier side at low and parking speeds, and there’s some slack at the dead-ahead position, but give it some lock and its sharpness and precise nature elevates driver confidence. While attacking corners or driving in a spirited manner, you can feel a fair bit of body roll, however mechanical grip levels are so good, the Basalt feels rather enjoyable to drive. 

Its sharp steering and impressive mechanical grip make the Basalt rather enjoyable to drive.

Citroen Basalt Verdict

With the Basalt, Citroen has put its best foot forward and we’re happy to see the company rectify its previous mistakes like the glaring cost-cutting measures and blatant feature omissions. Yes, the Basalt gets more than what the C3 twins had to offer, but it still misses out on bits that premium hatchbacks and compact SUVs and others in its segment have. Also, its automatic gearbox could do with some fine-tuning.

But there’s a lot to like. To start with, its stunning coupe design that sits well at the intersection of a sedan and SUV will be a huge draw for buyers looking to stand-out in a crowd. Its cabin makes a good impression and in addition to a spacious and comfortable interior, its massive 470-litre boot and 180mm ground clearance make it very practical too. Then, the Basalt’s ride comfort, like other Citroens, remains a huge plus point.

Finally, by pricing it aggressively from Rs 7.99 lakh, Citroen has successfully turned the spotlight on the Basalt. At a price which overlaps with compact SUVs, this stunning sedan-crossover amalgamation is great value for money, which is what makes it compelling enough for serious consideration.

Also See:

Citroen Basalt video review