Citroen to announce prices for Basalt coupe-SUV on August 7

Citroen will announce prices for the all-new Basalt coupe-SUV on August 7. It will be the brand's fourth model on the C-cubed program, and essentially is a coupe styled alternative to the C3 Aircross SUV. The Basalt gets notable feature upgrades that have plagued Citroen models so far, and will be offered with two petrol engine options. The company is, however, only likely to annouce the starting price; full price list is expected to be revealed at a later date. 

Powering the Basalt are two 1.2-litre petrol engine options. There's the 82hp, 115Nm naturally aspirated unit and a 110hp turbo-petrol engine. The turbo-petrol engine comes mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox (where it makes 190Nm) or a 6-speed torque converter automatic (generating 205Nm), while the NA unit gets a 5-speed manual only. 

Citroen claims fuel-efficiency figures of 18kpl for the naturally aspirated petrol, 19.5kpl for the turbo-petrol manual and 18.7kpl for the turbo-petrol automatic.

In terms of features, the top-spec variants of the Basalt will come equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a 15W wireless smartphone charger, connected car tech, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, front armrest with storage space and adjustable thigh support for the rear bench seat.

In terms of safety, all variants will get six airbags, ESP, hill-hold assist and a tyre pressure monitor as standard. It, however, misses out on niceties such as a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, powered front seats and ADAS suite that other rivals offer.

The C3 Aircross' most direct rival will be the upcoming Tata Curvv that's also launching on the same day. It's also aimed at other midsize SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and Honda Elevate. The Basalt will be a slightly different looking alternative to the traditional crop of midsize SUVs available in the market.