SUV-coupes are all the rage right now, so we check out how the newest two–Citroen Basalt and Tata Curvv compare on the spec sheet.
Citroen and Tata’s latest models, the Citroen Basalt and Tata Curvv are bringing the SUV-coupe body style, previously only within the reach of luxury car buyers, to the masses. Both cars have the silhouette of a four-door coupé with the high-riding stance of an SUV. The Tata Curvv starts from Rs 9.99 lakh, while the Citroen Basalt begins from Rs 7.99 lakh (all ex-showroom).
| Powertrain | Citroen Basalt | Tata Curvv | |||
| Type | 1.2-litre petrol | 1.2-litre turbo-petrol | 1.2-litre turbo-petrol | 1.2-litre turbo GDI (petrol) | 1.5-litre turbo-diesel |
| Power (hp) | 82 | 110 | 120 | 125 | 118 |
| Torque (Nm) | 115 | 190/205 | 170 | 225 | 260 |
| Transmissions | 5MT | 6MT/6AT | 6MT/7DCA | 6MT/7DCA | 6MT/7DCA |
Both the Citroen Basalt and Tata Curvv are offered with 1.2-litre, in-line, three-cylinder, petrol power plants, however, the Basalt comes with two flavours in the form of naturally aspirated and turbocharged, and there’s quite a bit of difference between the outputs of the two engines. The Tata Curvv on the other hand comes only in turbocharged form, but there are still two flavours, MPFi and GDi, with Tata’s GDi technology being offered for the first time in the Curvv. It also receives the diesel engine from its stable mates. There are fewer transmission options, but interestingly the Curvv diesel gets the seven-speed DCA option; a first for a diesel car. The Tata Nexon doesn’t offer this powertrain combo yet.
| Dimensions | Citroen Basalt | Tata Curvv | ||
| Length (mm) | 4352 | 4308 | ||
| Width (mm) | 1765 | 1810 | ||
| Height (mm) | 1593 | 1630 | ||
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2651 | 2560 | ||
| Boot (litres) | 470 | 500 | ||
| Fuel tank (litres) | 45 | 44 | ||
Between the Citroen Basalt and the Tata Curvv, the former is longer but lower, and with a suitably longer wheelbase as well. Despite this, the Tata Curvv manages to beat the Citroen Basalt in terms of cargo space, though rear seat headroom may prove to be quite different. Both cars have nearly identical fuel capacity, and there are no official ground clearance figures from either manufacturer.
| Features | Citroen Basalt | Tata Curvv | ||
| Touchscreen infotainment | 10.25-inch (Plus and above) | 7-inch (10.25-inch for Creative and above) | ||
| LED headlamps | PureTech 110 Plus and Max | Yes | ||
| Automatic climate control | PureTech 110 Plus and Max | Creative and above | ||
| Rear AC vents | PureTech 110 Plus and Max | NA | ||
| Reversing camera | Max | Pure+ and above | ||
| 360° camera | No | Creative+S and above | ||
| Tilt steering | Plus and above | Yes | ||
| Height adjustable driver seat | Plus and above | Yes | ||
| Rear seat adjustability | Seat base | Seat back (Accomplished S and above) | ||
In terms of features, the Citroen Basalt misses out on quite a few things which are considered necessities by today’s car buyers, and one of the more obvious ones is the 360° camera. Furthermore, the Basalt misses out on an infotainment touchscreen entirely on its base model, according to the brochure, and quite a few features, such as LED headlamps, auto climate control and rear a-c vents, can only be availed if you opt for the more powerful engine as, despite the Plus trim being offered with both engines, the low-output model doesn’t get these features. On the other hand, the Tata Curvv offers a lot of kit, but some of the more useful features are restricted to higher trim levels. These include automatic climate control, offered on Creative and above, while the Pure base model even misses out on a reversing camera, which is something we see on the Basalt as well. At least the base powertrain in the Tata Curvv can be specced in almost any of the available trim levels, and you don’t have to shell out extra cash for the more powerful engine just to access some features.
| Price | Citroen Basalt | Tata Curvv | ||
| Base trim (ex-showroom) | Rs 7.99 lakh | Rs 9.99 lakh | ||
| Top trim (ex-showroom) | Rs 13.83 lakh | Rs 19.00 lakh | ||
The price range of the Tata Curvv is far wider than the Citroen Basalt, but in fairness the Curvv gets more powertrain options compared to the Basalt. Furthermore, while the starting prices of the two cars are not too different, the top trims are separated by a much larger margin, which makes the Citroen Basalt a better option if the customer can forgo the extra power offered by the Curvv.
