The SUV coupe is an interesting mix. While from the ground up to the belt line it is an SUV, above that is like a fastback sedan or coupe. This body style has been around in the luxury and premium segments of the SUV market for a while now and remained largely confined there — till now. Bringing it towards the mass market end of the spectrum in India now are two models that have been rolled out within a couple of weeks of each other, although at different price points.

The Citroen Basalt brings the SUV coupe to within striking distance of everyman and straddles the biggest segments of the passenger car market with its price range of Rs 7.99 lakh to Rs 13.62 lakh at the showroom ranging from the base 1.2-litre through to the turbo 1.2 to the same engine paired with an automatic box.

At the invitation of Citroen, t2oS drove the turbocharged manual in the Goa monsoon for first impressions. So, here goes...

ON THE OUTSIDE

The Basalt is Citroen’s fourth offering in India based on its C-Cubed platform after the C3, eC3 and the C3 Aircross. So, there’s a lot of family resemblance and parts sharing with those, even as the new roofline makes it look very different. Like the others before it, the Basalt, too, has the Y-signature daytime running lights up front with the headlamps between the arms of the Y. The air intake, though similar to the others, is bolder, and extends out more. It manages to give a somewhat lantern-jawed look to the front end that is expected to have higher appeal.

The SUV coupe body shape is shows up best in profile

In profile, the roofline sloping to the tail end in fastback fashion gives the Basalt its distinctive look that is its biggest selling point. It is actually quite a sporty (yuk! that overused, misused and abused term again) silhouette that has been done quite well with the tapering rear windows ending at a black insert on the C-pillar that rounds off the shape pretty well. The Basalt we drove came with 16-inch alloys of a smart new design that does improve the profile.

Around the back there is that big-boot look indicating loads of luggage space. If one thinks how this coupe roofline is achieved, it almost sounds like a no-brainer. There is that space above the beltline behind the second row of seats in an SUV that is mostly of no use unless one is carrying large objects or stacking up stuff to the rafters, okay, well, ceiling. What an SUV coupe does is shave off that space and slope the roof to the tail instead. Unless one is talking of possible seven-seaters like the C3 Aircross, it makes little difference to users in terms of usability because the luggage room is left mostly intact while giving a more stylish look to the vehicle. There is the risk of the hatchback appearing slabby, but that has been taken care of by the high bumper and adding a couple of curves to the surface. It looks pretty nice, in fact.

ON THE INSIDE

Much is familiar from the C3 Aircross here. The dashboard design is much the same although there are new materials and finishes in this one. The overall beige and grey interiors with some silver-grey inserts is smart and unfussy and keeps the cabin bright and airy overall.

The beige and grey interiors make the cabin light on the eyes

A couple of things need specific mention here. The rear seat is first. Despite the sloping roof, the headroom isn’t compromised, at least for those of average or a shade above average height. That is something that Citroen has managed pretty well. Legroom, too, was more than enough with the front seat adjusted to our driving position. The seat back is supportive and Citroen has winged the headrests in aircraft seat style so that passengers can rest their heads with sideways support while travelling.

Another cool thing that is being offered but just on the top of the line (Puretech 110 AT) variant is something called the rear seat Smart Tilt Cushion. This allows the front part of the rear seat squab to be raised to three positions to provide under-thigh support. This is the first time we have seen this and it could go a long way to making longer drives more comfortable.

And that voluminous rear end encloses a pretty generous 470-litre boot space with the rear seat up and the parcel tray on.

We have always found the gear shift knob that Citroen has been using in its C-Cubed platform cars a bit too big in the hand, particularly when driving a manual transmission, and that’s a quibble that continues with the Basalt as well. And while not a deal-breaker, Citroen could consider a smaller knob in their manuals.

The infotainment screen is pretty good and operates smoothly to the touch. The multifunction steering comes with a host of buttons to help keep the hands on the wheel most of the time.

The physical buttons for the climate control are good and there was wireless charging for phones and 12V and USB (not USB C) sockets as well — a couple for the rear seat passengers too.

ON THE ROAD

While there are three main versions on offer, we drove the top-spec manual that comes with the 110ps (~108.5hp), three-cylinder, 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine. (This engine also comes with and automatic that is a story for another day. There is also the 82ps/~81hp naturally aspirated petrol.) The nice thing about it is that it delivers peak torque of 190Nm at a fairly low 1,750rpm and that makes it pretty easy to drive in the city and in slow traffic. Despite the turbocharger it is not necessary to keep blipping the throttle to stay in the power band and the progression is pretty linear. On Goa’s twisty little roads the electronic power steering worked well and had a reasonable amount of feel too.

From the back the fastback style roof sloping down to the end of the SUV looks quite cool

NH66 that heads down into Karnataka is less storied than the US Route 66 but can surely match it at the scenic drive stakes. On a very rainy day we pushed the Basalt a bit on it and the vehicle was stable. Citroen claims superior passenger comfort for its vehicles and its claims are quite justified. The Basalt is sprung a bit on the soft side but while we (thankfully!) did not do anything stupid to test its handling since it was public road and wet — in stretches it was you-cannot-see-the-trees-next-to-the-road wet — it seemed pretty poised in overtaking manoeuvres as well as on twisty Western Ghat roads.

In fact, with the torque coming in early, one could often do without downshifts that would be needed in other cars. We liked the way it rode, which probably is something we’d expect of vehicles a notch higher in the price ladder.

THE CALL

The Basalt is a pretty reasonably-priced option and should appeal to those in the market for sedans, SUVs or something that’s a bit of both and a little different from either as well. Citroen is also promising pretty good after sales service. All told, it looks like an attractive package both visually and functionally.