Citroen Basalt

The Citroen Basalt is the most unusual car in our fleet — a coupé-SUV with a sloping roofline that looks closer to a European concept than anything else from a mainstream Indian carmaker. We added it because it offers something specific: Citroen's class-leading suspension setup, which genuinely soaks up the broken-edge tarmac you find around old-city Jodhpur and on the highway out to Pali in a way nothing else under ₹4,000/day can match.

The 1.2-litre turbo-petrol with 110 hp is enough to make highway overtakes effortless, but the standout is what happens on bad roads. Citroen's progressive hydraulic cushion suspension means potholes that would jar a passenger in a Hyundai Aura get smoothed out to a single soft bounce. For renters who care about ride comfort on long days — anyone heading to Udaipur, Bikaner, or down to Mount Abu — it's a genuinely differentiated choice.

Inside, the layout is unusual in the right way: 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto/CarPlay, ventilated front seats (rare at this price), 470-litre boot, and surprising rear legroom despite the sloping roof — adults at 5'10 fit comfortably in the back without their head touching. The boot opens to a wide aperture and easily takes three full-size trolleys plus daypacks.

We hand the Basalt over freshly washed; given the white paint we recommend a quick wipe after a desert trip for photos. Service intervals are current, tyres are fresh, and the AC is properly cold from start-up.