Having launched the C3 Aircross in India last year, Citroen has now re-inforced its position in the compact SUV segment with the all-new Basalt. Essentially, the coupe-SUV sibling to the C3 Aircross, the Basalt shares a lot with the latter from the engine and powertrain options to a lot of its features. So just how do Citroen’s two SUVs compare on paper? We take a look.
Also read: Citroen Basalt: Variants And Prices Explained
The Basalt is Citroen’s second compact SUV for the Indian market after the C3 Aircross.
Citroen Basalt vs Citroen C3 Aircross: Dimensions
| Citroen Basalt | Citroen C3 Aircross | |
| Length | 4352 mm | 4323 mm |
| Width | 1765 mm | 1796 mm |
| Height | 1593 mm | 1665-1669 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2651 mm | 2671 mm |
| Boot Space | 470 litres | 444 litres (5-seater) / 44-511 litres (5+2-seater) |
On paper, there is not a very big difference in the size of the two SUVs. The Basalt is overall longer than its more upright SUV sibling though the Aircross is over 30 mm wider and over 70 mm taller and sits on a 20 mm longer wheelbase. The Basalt however trumps the 5-seat C3 Aircross in terms of boot space at 470 litres compared to 444 litres.
Also read: Citroen Basalt Variant Wise Prices Revealed; Turbo-Petrol Range Start At Rs 11.49 Lakh
The Basalt is longer than the C3 Aircross though the latter is taller, wider and sits on a longer wheelbase.
Interestingly though, the 5+2 seater Aircross offers up to 511 litres of space with the third row seats removed – more than its 5-seat variant. This is down to different mounting points for the rear seats with the middle row in the 5+2 models more forward set to liberate space for third-row passengers. This means that buyers of the C3 Aircross 5-seater will get more space to stretch in the back and with the SUV’s longer wheelbase and taller height space could also be more than in the Basalt.
Citroen Basalt vs Citroen C3 Aircross: Powertrains
| Citroen Basalt | Citroen C3 Aircross | ||
| Engine | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls petrol | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls, turbo-petrol | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls, turbo-petrol |
| Power | 80.5 bhp at 5750 rpm | 109 bhp at 5500rpm | 109 bhp at 5500rpm |
| Torque | 115 Nm at 3750 rpm | 190 Nm at 1750 (MT) / 205 at 1750-2500 rpm (AT) | 190 Nm at 1750 (MT) / 205 at 1750-2500 rpm (AT) |
| Gearbox | 5-speed MT | 6-speed MT / 6-speed AT | 6-speed MT / 6-speed AT |
| Fuel efficiency (claimed) | 18 kmpl | 19.5 kmpl (MT) / 18.7 kmpl (AT) | 18.5 kmpl (MT) / 17.6 kmpl (AT) |
Being based on the same platform, the Basalt and C3 Aircross share broadly the same powertrains. The Basalt however is offered in non-turbo guise as well with the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated unit developing 80.5 bhp and 115 Nm and offered solely with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Both the Basalt and C3 Aircross use the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine; Basalt also offered with a naturally aspirated petrol motor.
The Basalt turbo-petrol and C3 Aircross offer identical output figures though it’s the sleeker Basalt that promises better fuel efficiency figures on paper. An interesting point to note is that peak torque kicks in at a low 1750 rpm in both SUVs meaning that performance off the line should be good.
Citroen Basalt vs Citroen C3 Aircross: Features
Coming to the feature list, Citroen debuted some new features on the Basalt SUV which are confirmed to be making their way into the C3 hatchback and the C3 Aircross. THe coupe-SUV in fully loaded spec backs in features such as LED projector headlamps, auto climate control, power folding wing mirrors, diamond-cut alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone integration, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, connected car tech (Automatic only), a wireless phone charger, remote-key lock and unlock, height adjustable driver seat, engine idle stop/start system, rear-view camera and adjustable under-thigh support for rear passengers.
Also read: Citroen C3, C3 Aircross Updated With New Features: LED Headlights, Auto AC, 6 Airbags And More
Basalt gets bits such as auto climate control which is yet to be offered on the C3 Aircross
On the safety front the Basalt offers six airbags, ABS, ESP and hill start assist as standard across the range with top variants also getting a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Basalt rear seats get adjustable under-thigh support
The top-spec Aircross packs in similar tech though for the time being it misses out on bits such as the LED projector headlamps, auto climate control, wireless phone charger and rear air-con vents on the five-seater. The seven-seater models feature a dedicated roof-mounted console housing the rear air-con vents. The Aircross is also down on safety kit with the current SUV offering two airbags as standard. Do note that Citroen has already showcased the updated C3 Aircross which gets some of the missing features with the model likely to launch in the coming weeks.
Also read: Updated Citroen C3 Launched In India At Rs 6.16 Lakh; Gets New Features, Automatic Gearbox Option
C3 Aircross misses out on bits like auto climate control and power folding mirrors; updated SUV with these features to arrive soon.
Interestingly, the C3 Aircross offers quite a bit more tech in base ‘You’ trim over the entry Basalt ‘You’. The entry trim of the Basalt only gets you basic kit such as front power windows, a 12V charging socket, a basic instrument cluster and manual AC and not much else. The Aircross in comparison in base ‘You’ trim offers bits such as front and rear power windows, Bluetooth enabled audio system, remote-key based locking and unlocking, electric adjust wing mirrors, tilt adjust steering, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and tyre pressure monitoring.
Current C3 Aircross offered with rear air-con vents only on 5+2 seater variants.
Citroen Basalt vs Citroen C3 Aircross: Price
| Citroen Basalt | Citroen C3 Aircross 5-seat | Citroen C3 Aircross 5+2-seat | |
| Price (ex-showroom) | Rs 7.99 – 13.83 lakh | Rs 9.99 – 13.98 lakh | Rs 11.96 – 14.33 lakh |
Coming to the pricing, the Basalt has a very aggressive starting price at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom) though the entry variant as mentioned above is very basic. Focusing on the top variant, the Basalt undercuts the fully-loaded Citroen C3 Aircross 5-seat by about Rs 15,000. The C3 Aircross 5+2 seater meanwhile comes at a premium of Rs 35,000 over the 5-seat models.
