Citroen Basalt

Exterior

The Basalt's styling is one of its biggest talking-points. Rather than a boxy look of a traditional SUV, it dips out to have a coupe-like roof line that slants down to the rear, making the design stand out in traffic. This gives it a modern and dynamic look which many rivals don't have.

Commenting on these: "At the front, the Basalt is equipped with modern LED projector headlamps, and has the signature grille of French car manufacturer Citrohan." From some angles the sloping roof and body cladding makes it look slightly rear heavy, but it's clearly different from most compact SUVs on the road.

On the whole, the exterior is a hodge-podge of SUV-rough and mausoleum-chic, which begs attention without looking over-costume.

Interior

Once inside, there is an emphasis in the Basalt cabin on practical comfort. The dashboard is logically organized and clean, with much of its functionality around a large touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There's also a standalone digital display in front of the driver, but this is not very customizable compared to some rivals.

Seating comfort is good and is better in the rear, where you have adjustable under-thigh support - a nice stimulus for taller people. The front seats are supportive and large enough for everyday use, and the materials used inside are solid, even if not very premium. Storage spaces make sense, with large door pockets, a decent centre console cubby and useful compartments throughout the cabin.

Overall the interior just about manages to feel spacious and practical, yet it doesn't quite match the cabin refinement of the segment's premium rivals.

Safety

The Basalt takes safety seriously. It is equipped with six airbags, electronic stability control (ESP), hill hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring, and as standard across variants, ISOFIX mounts - all features that help to improve the crash protection and driving confidence.

Citroeen has also strengthened important structural elements to enhance crashworthiness; and there is clearly a desire to meet high safety standards for emerging markets.

These features make the Basalt reassuring when it comes to driving every day, as well as those who put safe in their car choice.

One of the Basalt's practical good things is the amount of space in the boots. With some 470 litres of cargo capacity, it's generous for a compact SUV and is easily able to accommodate luggage for family trips or shorter weekend getaways.

The broad boot space and reasonable depth makes loading stuff in simple enough, and folding the rear seats up makes more room for cargo when required - it doesn't get a full split-folding rear seat set-up however.

In everyday use and long drives, this Basalt's ability to carry goods in ample size makes them an attractive choice for users who need room but aren't time to move on up to a larger SUV.

• Performance AND Ride And Handling
• Performance

The Basalt has two engine options - both 1.2-litre petrol units. The build-in manual (5 speeds) naturally aspirated version is good for not a lot of power and is easy to live with when city driving. The more popular is the 1.2 litre turbo-petrol, with approximately 110PS of power, and good torque figures, that comes with a 6 speed manual or 6 speed automatic.

In normal day to day driving, the turbo engine is willing and responsive with sufficient urge for city driving and the odd highway overtake. The automatic transmission is ideal for traffic use although occasional shifting can be a little jerky at slower speeds.

While the Basalt may not run races against sportier SUVs, it provides comfortable and composed performance in most real world driving scenarios.

Ride comfort is one area where the Basalt gets a lot of points. Citroen's suspension set-up leans towards the softer end of the scale - that means that it soaks up bumps and rutted patches very effectively indeed. Even in broken city roads or stretches of country roads, the suspension smoothens the bumps, providing a comfortable ride to the passengers.

However, that softer suspension also means that the body can be a little floaty at higher speeds or when hustled through some quick direction changes. It's comfortable but not sporty - perfect for buyers who care about plush rides more than sharp handling.

The steering is predictable and easy to work with but it isn't as crisp as some rivals. Visibility from the driver's seat is generally good upfront, but the coupe roofline does mean rear visibility can be a bit narrow, without careful attention to make reversing a bit trickier.

All in all, the Basalt is a calm and composed rider, intended for daily travel and long trips in which comfort is more important than high speed cornering.