MS Dhoni Officially Announced As Citroen India Brand Ambassador

The first campaign of this new partnership will be around engaging Indian fans for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup

After many hints and unconfirmed reports, Citroen India has now officially announced that it has signed iconic Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador. The French carmaker made its entry into our market back in 2021 and already has four models in its lineup, three of which are locally manufactured.

The partnership campaign has been launched on the cusp of the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, with the first Citroen India video starring MS Dhoni talks about Indian fans cheering for the national cricket team. The former captain of the Indian cricket team also stated about the announcement, “As a passionate automobile enthusiast, I am elated to join forces with French iconic brand Citroën, renowned world over for its innovation and engineering prowess.”

Citroen Cars in India

The French carmaker, part of the Stellantis automotive conglomerate, has plans to introduce its fifth offering in the country in August 2024, called the Citroen Basalt. It made its global premiere earlier in the year as a crossover SUV with coupe-like styling. While details for the India-spec model are yet to be revealed, we expect it to have many commonalities with the Citroen C3 Aircross compact SUV.

That includes the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that puts down 110 PS and up to 205 Nm. It gets the choice of a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. In terms of features, the Basalt is expected to offer the same 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, 7-inch digital driver’s display, rear parking camera, and manual AC.

The Basalt will be taking on the likes of the Tata Curvv and aims to be a stylish alternative to compact SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, and Volkswagen Taigun. Other cars in the Citroen India lineup include the C3 hatchback, eC3 electric hatchback, and C5 Aircross mid-size SUV.