Citroen India has previewed its final model under its C-Cubed program, an SUV-coupe with the new Basalt Vision concept. Claimed to be faithful to the final design of the production SUV, the Basalt Vision shares many styling bits with the C3 range on sale in India and will be the brand’s second locally-developed SUV to be launched in the country. Citroen has confirmed that the Basalt name will be retained for the production model – a break from the brand’s current naming scheme seen with the remainder of the C3 range.
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The Basalt Vision is based on the Smart Car platform that also underpins the C3 Aircross
Based on the same Smart Car platform as the C3 Aircross, the Basalt Vision shares much in terms of looks with Citroen’s compact SUV especially from the front. The Vision Basalt carries over the Split headlamp design signature of the C3 range a notable difference over the production C3 models being the addition of projector headlamps in place of standard halogen units. Lower down, the squared-out design elements of the air vents have been carried over from the Aircross though the fog lamps are more squared out.
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Moving to the sides, the Basalt Vision seems to share much of the sheet metal of the C3 Aircross from the squared-out wheel arches to the creases on the fenders and the cuts on the lower door. The noticeable changes start with the roofline post the B-pillar. The roofline slopes downwards behind the B-pillar smoothly flowing down to an integrated spoiler lip at the edge of the tailgate. The concept also features the use of gloss cladding along the lower body and on the wheel arches.
Citroen confirms that the production SUV will also be called the Basalt.
The squared-out tail-lamp design also shares some similarities to the units on the C3 Aircross though they appear larger and house revised internals. The rear bumper features notable use of cladding with a prominent skid plate element also visible.
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The interiors remain under wraps though we expect the Basalt to share the same dashboard design as the C3 Aircross. Citroen could however offer greater comfort and convenience features with the Basalt which could later make their way to the C3 range. Engine details too are still under wraps though we expect the production Basalt to use the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with either a manual or automatic gearbox used in the C3 Aircross.
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Citroen has said that the Basalt will be launched in India in the second half of 2024. The SUV-Coupe is expected to be positioned above the C3 Aircross and will go up against models such as the upcoming Tata Curvv when it hits markets.
