Citroen Basalt SUV Coupe Selling At Rs. 80,000 Discount After Sales Crash

Just four months after launch, the Citroen Basalt SUV coupe is now selling at discounts of up to Rs. 80,000. This comes after sales of the Basalt have crashed to just 47 units in November 2024.

In fact, with such numbers, the Citroen Basalt is India’s second lowest selling (first is the Mahindra Marazzo MPV that’s nearly out of production) mass market car, prompting Citroen India to line up discounts in a bid to make the car more attractive to buyers.

The Citroen Basalt was launched in August 2024, at a stunning starting price of Rs. 7.99 lakh, ex-showroom. Back then, the pricing was said to be a coup by Citroen as nobody had expected the Basalt to start at a price at which most premium hatchbacks sit at. Most reviews of the Basalt SUV coupe were quite positive, extolling the comfort and ride quality it offered, along with a strong turbo petrol engine and a smooth shifting automatic gearbox.

Clearly, everyone expected the Basalt to do quite well but for some reason, the car’s simply not finding enough takers. In contrast, another affordable SUV coupe launched at roughly the same time period – the Tata Curvv, has managed to do quite well, clocking close to 5,000 monthly units. It helps that the Tata Curvv is available with turbo petrol, turbo diesel and electric powertrain options.

The Citroen Basalt gets two engine options – a 1.2 liter naturally aspirated triple cylinder petrol with 80 Bhp-115 Nm, and a 1.2 liter triple cylinder turbo petrol engine with 110 Bhp-205 Nm. While the naturally aspirated petrol gets a 5 speed manual gearbox as standard, the turbo petrol motor is available with 6 speed manual and torque converter automatic gearboxes. A fun engine that loves to be revved, the 1.2 liter turbo petrol unit is clearly the one to pick!

The Basalt does have a host of things going for it though. 1. It looks gorgeous and nothing like it exists at the price point at which it starts. 2. It’s got a fantastic ride quality that makes it a very comfortable car on all kinds of road. 3. Ground clearance is ample, once again making it a great bet for all kinds of road. 4. People who love driving will enjoy the strong performance of the 1.2 liter turbo petrol motor 5. It even has adjustable under thigh support to ensure that long distances are comfortable. 6. It scored four stars in the Bharat NCAP crash test, which means that it’s not just sturdy but also quite safe.

So, it’s a shame that the Basalt is not doing better in the Indian car market, leading us to believe that the same car sold with say a Maruti or Hyundai badge would have done far better.

More discounts on Citroen cars

Apart from the Basalt, which is selling at 80,000 rupees off, the AirCross SUV, which got an update recently, is selling with discounts as high as Rs. 1.75 lakh. The entry level C3 hatchback gets Rs. 1 lakh off while its electric sibling – the eC3 – is selling at Rs, 80,000 discount.

This brings us to the Citroen brand in India, which is clearly struggling. After taking a digital-only approach to selling cars in India, which backfired badly, Citroen is now establishing dealerships across the country.

The French car maker has lost a lot of time in the process though, which has blunted its appeal. Moreover, its cars are not as feature-rich as say the Hyundais and Kias of this world, another reason why the value-conscious Indian car buyer isn’t too interested in Citroens.

Finally, interiors of Citroen cars – although hard-wearing and built to last – just don’t exude the premium-ness that say a similarly priced Hyundai or Kia car would. These factors rub off on the Basalt as well, and is probably why the car’s just not moving out of showrooms.