[GoBabyGo]

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5816190 (Scoop! Citroen Basalt SUV Coupe spotted testing in Chennai)

Hi, finally Citroën undercut my expectations for Basalt pricing. While the pricing is fantastic, however, Citroen will find it very difficult to sell even 1000 units a month with their thin dealership network.

In addition, if Tata lunch the Curvv ICE close to this pricing, then it will be very difficult for Citroen to sell Basalt.

As on 2024, I feel perception about the vehicle is more important than anything else. No matter how good and how excellently a product is priced, if the perception of manufacturer or product is not good, it is very difficult for the company to sell it, no matter how aggressively they price the product.

I would liked to be proved wrong, but it seems Citroen may be going to get DATSUN fate in coming years., if they continue to launch cheaper & featureless products, no matter how good they are mechanically. They are also not expanding their sales & service network.

[volkman10]

Citroën Basalt TVC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwkmUxuWt6I

[bobbyblr]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Packing on the sides of the engine bay to prevent the bonnet from rattling:
Attachment 2639005

Attachment 2639006

Nice observation and this looks like jugaad. I don't know how Citroen will implement it during production.

[Sk8r]

Impressive pricing as most of you have pointed out already. However, I don't agree that lack of cruise control will be a deal breaker for their target audience.

Also, am unable to view the feature distribution in the official brochure to get an idea of what one gets at 7.99 Ex showroom.

Appreciate, if anyone can share it here.

[GauRanVid]

It's official now on Citroen website as well that it starts from 7.99 lakhs

[The Pianist]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

I still cannot believe that Basalt is launched at 7.99 lacs intro price.

I think I now understand why they never released C3 AT.
Would've been priced so close to Basalt.
The Basalt itself sits between C3 and C3 aircross in terms of dimensions.

May be the C3 AT will come by 2025 by which they might have a facelift scheduled.

Though I really loved the Basalt dimensions.
Really good design language and final form.

Would be interesting to see what AT variants are priced at.
Would make a VFM first car, even with the lower spec'd engine.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Citroen Basalt Cons

• SUV Coupe styling can polarise opinions; this body style is not for everyone
• Missing plenty of features - sunroof, ventilated seats, keyless entry & go, 360-degree camera, cruise control, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming IRVM...
• Only petrol powertrains on offer. No Hybrid, diesel or EV options
• Quality of cabin materials doesn't feel great; cost-cutting is pretty evident in certain areas
• As is typical of SUV Coupes, rearward visibility is poor
• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is small. Example, a metropolitan city like Mumbai has just 2 outlets in the far suburbs, while Bangalore has 1


The Basalt has not been crash tested by any independent body such as the Global NCAP. However, it must be remembered that the C3 and eC3, which are based on the same platform, performed very poorly in Latin NCAP crash tests (0 stars).

Except for the crash test ratings, there are no big cons that I fear on the list.
Hope BNCAP clears the above concern too.

[shortbread]

When it comes to the feature debate, let's be real: if Citroen rolls out a car that's comparably priced and specced like its mainstream competitors, how many folks would actually choose the Citroen? You guessed it—zip, zero, nada! It's like trying to sell ice cream in a snowstorm!

Citroen had to implement a bold strategy to entice Indian consumers to invest their hard-earned money in a relatively unfamiliar brand, addressing the inherent fears and uncertainties associated with it. The Basalt is precisely the solution, using the compelling value proposition to help allay all those concerns.

The appealing price point is one's incentive to buy the Citroen. It's a good price and the perfect bait to attract buyers who otherwise might not even step into a Citroen showroom, now people will at least check it out. There's no way they can undercut the competition on price and still provide the myriad of features that people want.

It's evident that Citroen is positioning itself as a value-driven brand rather than an aspirational one, intentionally crafting products that appeal to budget-conscious buyers. This aligns with their established reputation in Europe as an affordable option, a stance they are unapologetically maintaining in India and not trying to the pretentious especially in contrast to some cars when they come to India eg. Jimny.

For consumers seeking high-tech, safety-oriented, and feature-rich vehicles, numerous alternatives are available. However, Citroen is strategically targeting the increasingly underserved value-oriented segment in India, a move that I believe is both smart and effective.

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by Comrade

But isn't the pricing also reflecting that? They are offering Base & Mid spec variants for now.

The standout feature is VFM. A Mid Size Car or SUV for price of Compact Car or SUV.

Some customers may consider that they are getting bigger car for price of Dzire or Amaze. Atleast they would go and check out the car, test drive it etc. It is not like entire India only values DZire ZXi or Amaze VX variants. Many People do buy LXi or VXi or S or SV variants. Citroen is directly offering bigger segment car with comparable features and build quality for the same price as these lower variants.

Sure, the pricing is attractive for the taxi segment. I hope this does not overwhelmingly become a taxi segment car.

Citroen cannot depend on some customers. If they want to make volumes, they better give what the market is asking for. It's not like we are in 2012 when Duster was launched. Whatever strategy they are following I hope it works for them. I do not have anything against Citroen, but just feel they have not done enough to attract the Indian customer.

[Kosfactor]

Gentlemen, Thanks for the in depth review.

I see traces of Duster and Kwid in many places while going through the images. Somehow it feels like a cost cutting exercise - the vehicle as a whole. What all has been compromised to meet that cost targets is what I am wondering.

Unthinkable, perhaps in 2024.

Edit - Removing the video since its already posted above, Nice music though in the Ad.

[s2K_scorpioN]

If I was in the market for a car, this would be on the top of my list. Best bang for buck right now. Sleek and sophisticated, definitely looks more than the bucks you've to pay to acquire it. And I am deeply impressed with Citroen's resolve with this product, pricing it as they have, albeit introductory. This is one of those models, that if it doesn't become a hit, will leave me confounded to say the least. And then leave me with a little more empathy towards the manufacturers who are not willing to take any risks in the market.

[anu21v]

I see only three big features missing from the car

1. Sunroof : I am not in market for Sunroof. For me it is just a snob value

2. ADAS : ADAS is still evolving and is available only on high end cars, I didnt expect in this segment and certainly not at this pricing

3. Cruise Control : of all the features, Cruise control is the only one i will miss.


Given the backdrop of excellent driveability and hoot of a suspension setup and covering all other bases like automatic, seat comfort and styling, this very well can be my next car. Hoping to sell of my old car to partially fund this one but I suspect with this sort of pricing I would not get a good price for my old car now.


I experienced C3 suspension first time with one of my friend's C3 on the potholed Yamuna-river Bandh-Road in Noida where no other Car/SUVs could match the comfort even on high speed; while all other SUVs including M&M were driving at sub-20 speed, C3 was flying at 60-70 Kmph.

Originally Posted by Aditya

The Basalt has not been crash tested by any independent body such as the Global NCAP. However, it must be remembered that the C3 and eC3, which are based on the same platform, performed very poorly in Latin NCAP crash tests (0 stars).

On the Star rating it seems Carwale is mentioning that the Crash Rating has been improved and is likely to be a 5-star now.

https://www.carwale.com/citroen-cars...-drive-review/

Did the Sales team from Citroen did not disclose this to Team-bhp or was this items not discussed at all.

Also, Given the pricing has been released, can we put a spec and price comparison chart with the nearest car?

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by NFS2024

Sure, the pricing is attractive for the taxi segment. I hope this does not overwhelmingly become a taxi segment car.

Being attractive to the taxi segment is a good point. For one It'll instantly boost Citroen's sales, but more importantly the kind of running taxis do, Citroens will be more visible on the road and improve the brand's presence. It's the ideal package as well, NA engine, big boot, spacious interiors, good ground clearance etc..

Even today Dzire shifts 13-14k units, mostly taxis. Even a fraction of that will be huge boost to Citroen.

[darkgamer]

Do we have the price lists of the variants? I see that a lot of commenters are using the 8 lakh ex-showroom price and the automatic turbo engine/gearbox in the same tone, but I don't think that's the case.

I believe the 8 lakhs price is for the 1.2NA manual car with everything stripped out of it, and the actual cars we see in the reviews(1.2 turbo automatic, wireless charger etc) will cost 15+ lakhs on road easily.

I'd love to be proven wrong though.

Originally Posted by shortbread

Being attractive to the taxi segment is a good point. For one It'll instantly boost Citroen's sales, but more importantly the kind of running taxis do, Citroens will be more visible on the road and improve the brand's presence. It's the ideal package as well, NA engine, big boot, spacious interiors, good ground clearance etc..

Even today Dzire shifts 13-14k units, mostly taxis. Even a fraction of that will be huge boost to Citroen.

Does a petrol car make sense for Taxi operators in 2024?

[NutHead1270]

Just by looking at the pictures you can see that the back seats are very comfortable!
Citroen's great driving dynamics are already proven by the C3. The only con is that there are hardly any showrooms or service centres. Bangalore has only 1-2 showrooms, that's crazy!
If we had a Citroen showroom nearby (and people outside Teambhp knew Citroen existed), we might have bought C3

[cityslicker86]

Originally Posted by poloman

Guys please be responsible and don't spam the thread with posts mentioning this feature is missing and that feature is missing which has become a trend in the forum.

I agree. Its quite annoying to see every other effort such as entering an unestablished segment (coupe SUV), solid engineering, driving pleasure, passenger comfort, cabin space being ignored and only gimmicky features being discussed as pass/fail barometer.

Citroen has made a seemingly successful attempt at building a visually attractive and well engineered coupe SUV for India and launched it at an attractive price point. Their puny dealer network and baggage of back to back duds since entering India will pose a serious challenge. Nevertheless, if one is convinced about quality and willing to take a chance with after sales support, this is a no brainer over other compact SUVs or the boring Dzire/Amaze etc.

Off topic - After market shop owners in Karol Bagh must be greasing their tools