Aston Martin Cygnet
2011: City car marks the dawn of a new era for luxury manufacturer
If the One-77 is the ultimate high-performance Aston Martin, the other new car waiting in the wings at HQ in Gaydon is an entirely different proposition. The controversial Cygnet is the smallest model the firm has ever produced, and is the result of a groundbreaking collaboration with Toyota.
It came about after Aston boss Dr Ulrich Bez struck up a friendship with Toyota president Akio Toyoda through their shared passion for motorsport. The Cygnet will be based on the innovative iQ city car, yet has the unmistakable look of an Aston – from the distinctive grille to the trademark air vents in the wings and LED tail-lights.
Design chief Marek Reichman said: “It’s small but luxurious; an Aston Martin tailor fit for the city.” The Cygnet is less than three metres long, although clever packaging ensures there is space inside for a clever 3+1 seating layout.
Fans of the brand’s performance cars need not worry, as Bez is confident Aston Martin will never lose sight of its roots. “Our backbone will always remain sports cars, but the Cygnet supports this by offering our customers a greater degree of freedom in the urban context,” he told Auto Express.
With predicted emissions of only 110g/km from its 1.3-litre engine, the newcomer is designed to help reduce the average CO2 output of the entire Aston range and to boost sales – by up to 4,000 cars across Europe when production is in full swing.
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And while the Cygnet doesn’t have the V12 soundtrack or distinctive silhouette of its sports car stablemates, it will bring Aston Martin’s famous virtues of craftsmanship and interior quality to the small car sector. “You will get the same experience purchasing a Cygnet as you would a Rapide,” explained Reichman. Customers will be offered a virtually unlimited choice of materials and colours with which to tailor their model, so chances are, every hand-finished Cygnet will be unique.
Initially, it was going to be available only to existing Aston buyers as a commuter car to add to their existing fleet – but that strategy has been put on the back burner. So when the urban runaround becomes a production reality next year, it will be offered to a wider audience. That’s assuming you can afford it, because the Cygnet is expected to range from £30,000 to £50,000, depending on specification.
Insiders at the firm are tight-lipped about precise details of the project, but we can’t wait to try it for ourselves. Changes to the running gear have been kept to a minimum – although Aston being Aston, we wouldn’t be surprised to find the Cygnet has been given a boost in performance to go with its sharp new suit...
