Long-overdue Citroën Basalt almost ready for South Africa
· Citizen
Stellantis South Africa has confirmed that the long delayed Citroën Basalt will make its arrival at the end of the first quarter of the year.
Made specifically for developing markets, the Basalt debuted two years ago as the step-up from the C3 Aircross.
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Fundamentals
Built alongside the latter and the regular C3 in India, the coupe-styled Basalt also becomes the second non-commercial Citroën model after the quadracycle Ami not to have a name starting with the letter “C”.
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Part of Citroën’s so-called C-Cubed programme, the Basalt rides on the so-called Smart Car platform, with dimensions of 4 352 mm in overall length, a wheelbase of 2 651 mm, height of 1 593 mm and width of 1 756 mm.
Up front
In India, the same powertrains as the C3 Aircross, modelled on the 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech engine, are offered.
Local market specification of the coupe-styled Basalt will be announced later. Picture: CitroënFor the normally aspirated unit, outputs are 60kW/115Nm and 81kW/205Nm for the turbocharged variant.
A five-speed manual is standard on the former, with the latter having either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.
Basalt’s interior has not been changed from the C3 Aircross. Image: Citroën India“The Basalt is positioned to appeal to young professionals and growing families seeking a more expressive alternative to conventional offerings, while remaining accessible to own and operate,” Stellantis said in a statement.
Stay tuned
While no further details were announced, expect more in the coming months, including possible specification hints.
This includes pricing, which is anticipated to start around R420 000 based on the flagship C3 Aircross’ R388 900 sticker.
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