[motorworks]

Tata is in a bit of a pickle here. On one hand they have to position the Curvv as an alternative to the Creta in spite of it not being of a traditional SUV / Crossover body style. And on the other hand they have to counter the Basalt’s pricing, cause they are the only 2 SUV coupe cars now. 90% of indian market wouldn’t know the C3 aircross, but thanks to both Tata and Citroen, almost every potential car buyer is now aware of the Basalt and the Curvv due to their unique styling, and also due to both the cars being launched at the same time.

Equipment levels aside, its going to be very difficult for Tata to justify 1-2 lakh premium on the Curvv over a similarly kitted Basalt. Tata is lucky that Citroen is still a very unknown brand in India with extremely low touch points, if the same was done by another manufacturer, even someone like Renault or Honda etc, they would have been in a tough spot.

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Equipment levels aside, its going to be very difficult for Tata to justify 1-2 lakh premium on the Curvv over a similarly kitted Basalt.

Politely disagree because the critical question is: how does the Citroen Basalt 'similarly kit' itself compared to the Tata Curvv? Let's bypass the myriad of features, the user interface, connected cartech, voice commands, mood lighting, auto tailgate, powered seats, ventilated seats, paddle shifters, leatherette, ADAS, 360 cameras, music system etc.. etc.. let's set all that aside, let's bypass the highly likely 5 star crash rating on the Curvv too, keep the question really basic, let's focus on their powertrains. The Basalt lacks an EV option, diesel variant, or a GDi engine, making it difficult to establish a direct comparison.

The potential competition might lie between the top Basalt Plus Turbo and the base Curvv Smart 1.2 Revotron Turbo Petrol, yet current pricing trends (ie. Curvv EV prices) suggest that Tata will price this extremely competitively. Which is fine for Citroen, because a majority of the Basalts will be the NA variants due to the prices and these aren't the buyers the Curvv is aimed at either.

In my opinion, Citroen seems to be missing an opportunity by delaying the announcement of the Basalt's prices, potentially losing market traction amid the buzz it has generated. Soon the Curvv and Roxx test drives/launches will follow and peoples attention gets diverted. Get the confirmation when customers are walking into Citroen showrooms today, rather than have them walk away saying we'll come back once you confirm prices.