Citroen Basalt EV Spied Testing In India: Tata Curvv.EV Rival
Citroen currently has a single all-electric offering in its Indian portfolio- the eC3 electric hatchback. The French carmaker seems to be working on its second EV for India, which could be an electric coupe based on the Basalt. Recently a test mule of this vehicle was spotted.
A user shared a set of images on Team BHP that shows the front, rear, and three-quarter angles of the EV being tested. The caption suggests it to be the Basalt EV. It makes sense to expect an all-electric version of the Basalt, considering how Tata Motors has been able to generate interest with the Curvv.EV, something that also follows the coupe SUV body style, even while standing much higher in pricing. Rolling out a more affordable electric coupe SUV that looks as good as the Basalt thus makes sense.
The Basalt is the fourth product from the C Cubed program. It is based on Group PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP) architecture. The same underpins the C3 and Aircross as well. But it remains to be seen if the Basalt EV would be underpinned by an electrified CMP. It is more likely to be based on an enhanced version of the Citroen eC3 platform- CC21.
The India-spec C3 hatchback is based on the CMP while its electric counterpart- the eC3 is underpinned by the CC21 architecture. A similar route could be followed in the case of Basalt EV as well. No further details of this EV are known yet. The CC2 platform on eC3 hatchback comes with a 29.2 kWh battery pack.
Comparable battery sizes could be expected on the Basalt EV as well. It could comfortably tuck in under the Curvv.EV in pricing and specs, as the ICE counterparts of the vehicles do.
The Curvv EV, on the other hand, stays significantly superior with larger battery capacities- 45 kWh and 55 kWh. In another case, Citroen could base the Basalt EV on the PSA’s ‘Smart Car’ platform that underpins the European-spec eC3. This architecture is slightly better than the Indian spec’s and comes with a 44 kWh battery pack on the hatchback. In this case, the pricing and positioning would likely be higher.
Citroen Basalt ICE: The Affordable SUV Coupe
Citroen Basalt has become the most affordable SUV coupe that looks and feels good. At launch, it had an introductory price of ₹7.99 lakh. The design includes a coupe roofline, 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, V-shaped split LED DRLs, a split grille, and all-LED lighting. There is noticeable component and cue sharing with the C3 and Aircross. The cabin comes with features like dual screens (10.2-inch touchscreen and 7-inch digital driver information display), automatic climate control and wireless phone charging.
The safety suite consists of six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), a rear parking camera, and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). There is no ADAS offered.
The Basalt is a petrol-only model. It is powered by 1.2-litre naturally aspirated and 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engines. The NA engine produces 82 PS and 115 Nm while the turbo offers 110 PS and 205 Nm. The NA engine remains manual-only while 6-speed manual and 6AT can be had with the Turbo petrol. The coupe SUV is rising to acceptance as we speak, and the EV could possibly do the same when launched.