Aston Martin Cygnet – Click above for high-res image gallery
Niche automakers like Aston Martin are facing increasing difficulties with our overcrowded planet. On the one hand, emissions regulations are tightening, forcing automakers to reduce their carbon footprint across their range. On the other, big GTs like those that Aston builds, svelte though they are, are becoming increasingly inconvenient for navigating crowded city streets. Aston's answer to both these problems is the Cygnet, and it's just been announced for production.
The city car shown until now in concept form is based heavily on the Toyota iQ, but in Cygnet form will be hand-assembled at Aston's factory at Gaydon in Warwickshire, England, alongside the company's Grand Tourers. Production is slated to begin next year in 2011, with pricing and specifications due to be announced later this year. Official announcement in the press release after the jump, updated high-res image gallery below.
[Source: Aston Martin]
ASTON MARTIN CYGNET CONFIRMED FOR PRODUCTION
Innovation, Luxury and Individuality
- Aston Martin Cygnet to become a production reality in 2011
- Designed and built at Aston Martin's Gaydon headquarters
- An Aston Martin tailor fit solution for the city offering luxury and individuality
The Aston Martin Cygnet is a city car that sets a new benchmark for compact luxury, building upon nearly a century of experience building high performance sports cars, luxurious long-range grand tourers, and extremely competitive racing machines.
Cygnet demonstrates Aston Martin's commitment to innovation and integrity.
"It is time to think differently. Aston Martin is honest and we don't make compromises" says Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez.
"Whatever we do, we do right. If we do performance, we do performance; we don't downsize or compromise our sports cars. The Cygnet needs to satisfy the demands of emissions and space. It is a car without compromise, just like every other Aston Martin.
"Our customers need a small car for urban and city use, and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality."
Cygnet expresses a simple but fundamental idea: in the modern city, scale equates to speed and freedom. At just three metres long, the Cygnet gives the driver a new dimension of freedom, able to slot into gaps in traffic, exploit the smallest parking spaces, consume the least fuel and emit the lowest emissions, all while delivering exceptional levels of quality and comfort.
"Cygnet is small but luxurious, an Aston Martin tailor fit for the city," says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's Director of Design. With an almost unlimited palette of materials, colours and textures, each hand-finished Cygnet will be truly unique, a personalised space within the city. "Luxury is not constrained by scale."
Cygnet is a product of Aston Martin's unrivalled experience in craft, technology and design. The future city will present a very different luxury brand landscape, as social change and legislation increases the division between urban and anti-urban product categories. With the Cygnet, Aston Martin will be at the forefront of these changes, ensuring the company's enduring brand image will continue to prosper in new market conditions.
Dr Ulrich Bez continues: "The Cygnet is designed to support our sports cars by providing a greater degree of freedom in the urban context; it is a very special car, a premium but compact package with heart, soul and personality."
The Cygnet, a tailor fit solution for the city, will help drive Aston Martin into the future. "This car is reality; Cygnet is the natural choice for those who want a premium, bespoke commuter car."
Further details on the Aston Martin Cygnet including pricing and specification will be announced later this year. The Cygnet will be the eighth major production car Aston Martin has introduced at its state-of-the art factory since 2004, offering further evidence of the company's ongoing commitment to British manufacturing, backed-up by a dedicated local workforce and supplier network.
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