Citroen India Appoints MS Dhoni as Brand Ambassador

French car manufacturer Citroën officially announced former Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as their brand ambassador for India. With MS Dhoni becoming the face of the brand in India, we expect to see him in upcoming commercials and campaigns for the brand. Speculations and rumors related to the same have been circulating on the internet, but now the brand has made the announcement official.

About the announcement, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, “As a passionate automobile enthusiast, I am elated to join forces with the iconic French brand Citroën, renowned worldwide for its innovation and engineering prowess.”

Shishir Mishra, Brand Director, Citroën India, said, “We believe that our association with one of India’s finest cricketers, Dhoni, will go a long way in reinforcing our commitment to the Indian market. His humility and dedication to excellence align perfectly with our brand’s ideology, while our shared commitment to sustainability and shaping the future of mobility strengthens our connection.”

M.S. Dhoni, or Mahi as his fans like to call him, is a big-time car and bike enthusiast. He has a large collection of bikes and cars in his garage. He is, in fact, a huge fan of classic and vintage cars and bikes. He has at least 60-70 bikes in his garage. He has built a multi-storey garage at his farmhouse in Ranchi where he displays all his bikes and cars.

He is often seen riding these bikes and cars on the road. He was recently spotted riding an RD350 after his team Chennai Super Kings lost the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League playoffs. Chennai Super Kings is out of the tournament this season.

Citroën India currently has cars like the C3, eC3, C3 Aircross, and the flagship C5 Aircross SUV in their lineup. The French manufacturer is known for offering exceptionally good ride quality in their vehicles. The manufacturer now has plans to expand their product lineup in India. The upcoming product from Citroën this year is the Basalt.

The manufacturer has officially unveiled the new model; however, they are yet to launch it in the market. It is actually based on the same CMP platform as the C3 and C3 Aircross. One thing about the Basalt that attracted a lot of attention was its design. Citroën has given the car or SUV a coupe-like design, which gives it a sporty look.

Other manufacturers like Tata and Mahindra are also working on models with coupe-ish SUV designs. The front end of the SUV looks the same as the C3 Aircross and other models from the Citroën family. One thing that most Citroën cars sold in India lack is features. It is expected that the upcoming Basalt will come equipped with more features than the C3 Aircross and C3 hatchback.

Coming to the engine options, the Basalt will be offered with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that generates 110 PS and 205 Nm of peak torque. It is the same engine that is offered with the C3 Aircross. The engine will be offered with both a 6-speed manual and a torque converter automatic transmission. An electric version of the Basalt is also expected to be launched six months after the launch of the ICE version.