Tata Curvv and Citroen Basalt

Although the Citroen Basalt is comparable in size to the Tata Curvv, it is a lower-end offering than other compact SUVs in India, and therefore priced relatively high.

Although the coupe SUV genre is a decade old, it is still in its infancy. In India, several coupe SUVs have been launched, including the BMW X6 that started it all. However, in the mainstream Indian market, Tata Motors and Citroen made a splash at the same time and in the same segment. Let’s see how they performed.

Tata Curvv and Citroen Basalt

In the compact SUV segment, there were as many as nine players a few months ago. Now there are 11. The 10th is the Citroen Basalt and the 11th is the Tata Curvv. Interestingly, both of these recent entrants into the segment have adopted coupe SUV designs, hinting that there may be other brands catching up with the trend.

Comparing these two coupe SUVs is not an easy task. We say this because while they are similar in size, they are very different in terms of build, execution, loading, marketing and pricing. While the Tata Curvv competes with the typical compact SUVs, the Citroen goes after the sub-4-meter SUV pricing.

Speaking of which, the price of Basalt starts at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to Rs 13.83 lakh (ex-showroom). On the other hand, the price of Curvv starts at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to Rs 19 lakh (ex-showroom). There is a big difference between these two cars in terms of features as well. Since size is the only parameter where these two cars are evenly matched, we will not discuss the size.

The Basalt is longer, while the Curvv is wider and taller. The Basalt also has a longer wheelbase of 2,651 mm. The Curvv has a 500L boot space and a 208mm ground clearance. The Basalt’s wheels are up to 16 inches with 205-section tires, while the Curvv offers 18-inch alloy wheels with 215-section tires.

Both cars are powered by a 1.2L 3-cylinder engine, but with different tuning. The base variant of the Tata Curvv also gets turbocharged power, which can produce up to 118 bhp and 170 Nm, while the new GDi engine can produce up to 123 bhp and 225 Nm. The Basalt is available in NA petrol and turbo petrol versions, with up to 109 bhp and 205 Nm. The gearbox options are also interesting, as the Nexon is available with 6MT or 7DCA, while the Basalt starts with 5MT, followed by 6MT and 6TC options. The Basalt has no diesel option at all.

Huge difference in functionality

There is a huge difference between the Citroen Basalt and the Tata Curvv in terms of features and comfort. The table below gives a brief idea of ​​this. Even with the recent addition of features like LED projector headlamps, power folding ORVMs, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, the Tata Curvv is light years ahead of the Basalt. We have to see how well the customers take to the new strategy adopted by Citroen.

Even with all the feel-good features, the Tata Curvv is light years ahead of the Citroen Basalt, equipped with most of the stylish elements one could want in this segment. However, the Citroen offers two elements that the Curvv doesn’t have – wing-shaped headrests and under-thigh support for the second-row passengers.

In terms of safety, both cars come with 6 airbags as standard. The Curvv is equipped with Level 2 ADAS and will most likely score 5 stars in the upcoming crash test. The Citroen Basalt will most likely score low, in line with the India-spec eC3 tested by Global NCAP.