Citroen India has finally unveiled the new Citroen Basalt Vision SUV-Coupe concept in India. The brand announced that the new SUV will hit the Indian market in the second half of this year. Citroen will first retail the coupe in India and South America. The Basalt is going to be the third vehicle to be based on the C-Cubed program, which has previously underpinned the C3 and C3 Aircross. The Basalt Vision retains several styling details from the C3 range, which is also available in the Indian market. The new model will be Citroen’s second locally manufactured sports utility vehicle to be rolled out in the country.
According to the company, the name Basalt will be retained for the production model of the SUV. The Basalt is still labeled as a prototype, but the company has high hopes for this model, and it will hit the streets soon. The Citroen Basalt Vision SUV will feature sharp contrasts and bright colors, which will make it stand out from other models. The forthcoming car is expected to be the most affordable SUV coupe in the country. Citroen has developed the C-cube program specifically for rapidly growing markets like India and South America, as the auto marque wanted to manufacture more efficient and affordable models to expand its footprints in these markets.
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The concept version comes with a split headlamp, and in place of halogen units, it gets projector headlamps. It comes equipped with silver skid plates, a contrasting black roof, protruding wheel arches, black alloy wheels, and ORVM caps. The LED daytime running lamp signature and the bonnet stay like the compact C3 SUV. The concept rolls on stylish alloy wheels with a gun-metal finish.
Citroën CEO Thierry Koskas commented on the recent debut of Basalt Vision and said, “We are delighted to unveil the third opus of this program designed to drive Citroën’s international growth. Local teams are strongly committed to deliver in the coming months this innovative concept of an SUV Coupé that exudes bold design, space inside and unique onboard comfort. Developed and produced locally, we are confident that Basalt will appeal to a large number of customers and strengthen our position in major markets. We can’t wait to tell you more about it in the middle of the year."
The French auto company has not confirmed the engine specification for the SUV, but since it is based on the C-cube program, the car is likely to be powered by the same 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine equipped in the C3 Aircross. The engine churns out maximum power of 108 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 205 Nm of peak torque at 750-2,500 rpm. The unit is mated to a 6-speed torque converter AT transmission.
