Aston Martins New Baby - The Cygnet

Prepare to be amazed as Aston Martin reveals its latest creation - the Cygnet. A city-car that's smaller than a Ford Fiesta. So why has Aston Martin gone from supercars to a super-mini? It will instantly become the world's smallest super-luxury saloon and represents Aston's most radical model departure in its 90-year history.

The company has identified that around 30 per cent of owners have small cars such as the MINI or Smart ForTwo in their garages, using them for short journeys to and from city-based offices. There has never been a wider range of hot hatchbacks on sale from frantic city cars to 300bhp, rally inspired models. Aston martin aim to offer their customers a very luxurious Hot Hatch which is less than three meters in length, its flexible package can accommodate up to four people, providing owners with a new dimension of versatility.

Aston Martin is preparing a small car concept of its own based on of all things the Toyota iQ. Word is it will still be powered by the Toyota engine, a 998cc 3-cylinder that makes all of 67 horsepower. The luxury commuter concept, which Aston Martin claims will 'offer customers a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive solution for urban travel in style and luxury' is actually based on the diminutive urban runabout and was created in collaboration with the Japanese automaker.

Aston won't be drawn into revealing details of the Cygnet's interior, but promises the changes inside will be even more extreme that the tweaks outside. So we can probably expect the same attention to detail as you'd get on the DBS, with a leather-clad cabin featuring the very best materials, along with an ECU (Emotion Control Unit) that plugs into the centre console, replacing a traditional key. According to Aston Martin, the cygnet will offer great fuel efficiency, a compact size, Euro NCAP 5-star safety rating and the prestige of the company's luxury brand.

Unfortunately being produced in small numbers has put them out of reach for most people in fact the Aston Martin Cygnet will only be offered for sale to existing Aston customers or to those who place an order for of the company's better-known and more expensive wagons. The New Cygnet car is specifically aimed at the one-third of existing Aston owners who already own a Mini-sized car. So the Cygnet is intended to act rather like a yacht tender, doing the school run or nipping down to the shops, saving the real McCoy for those weekend dashes down to Zermatt or St Maxime.

So squash those dreams of owning a cheap luxury city car because it's just not going to happen as you do need a parent in order to obtain a wee cygnet.

Although it's still in the concept stage, the green light for production of the Aston Martin Cygnet is expected to be given before the end of the year. Aston Martin expects to build between 1000 and 2000 cars a year, with earliest cars earmarked for sale in the UK and Europe where the iQ has won a five-star NCAP safety rating. Cars will be sold exclusively through Aston dealers.


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