Whatshot

2026
All
September
2025
All
November
All
2024
All
June
All
April
All
2023
All
March
All
2022
All
2021
All
2020
All
March
All
February
All
2019
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
2018
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
2017
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2016
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2015
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
DHS
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2014
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
KZN
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2013
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2012
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All

Vive La Différence - Citroën Basalt

Vive La Différence - Citroën Basalt

Author: By Independent Bugle Reporter
Date: 2026-06-26

Nobody asked Citroën to build a coupe-SUV for emerging markets, assembled in India, named after volcanic rock, and aimed squarely at South Africans who want to look interesting without spending interesting money. Nobody asked, and yet here we are. And honestly? We are not complaining.

The Basalt is Citroën doing what Citroën does best: ignoring convention and getting away with it. That sloping fastback roofline gives it a silhouette that turns heads in the Checkers parking lot, which is more than can be said for half its rivals. The 16-inch wheels do look a touch modest under those arches, like a man wearing smart shoes with shorts, but you forgive it quickly.

Inside, a 10-inch SmartCar HD touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, seven-inch digital instrument cluster, automatic air conditioning, keyless entry, cruise control, and six airbags greet you. For a vehicle starting at R354,900 that is not shabby. Not shabby at all.

The 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder pulls with a responsive mid-range that makes highway overtaking effortless and city driving relaxed, and the ride quality is where the Basalt quietly humiliates its competition. Citroën's advanced comfort suspension soaked up our KZN potholes and dodgey road surfaces with a composure that many rivals simply cannot match. It glides. On our roads, that matters enormously.

Yes, there are some hard plastics inside. But everything feels well assembled, with panels fitting together neatly and very few rattles. The French are nothing if not precise about the things that matter.

A five-year, 100,000-kilometre warranty and four-year service plan seal the deal.