Aston Martin Considers Cygnet for the U.S.

[ahmed_7erzon]

Aston has just unveiled the Cygnet city car. It's based on the Toyota/Scion iQ, which will come to the U.S. as a Scion shortly, but retails at approximately three times the iQ's expected price.
How come? The Aston Cygnet has a different nose, hood, and front fenders, and LED rear lights, plus special wheels. It looks like what it is: a 10-foot-long cube-shaped city car in Aston Martin fancy dress. Within, the iQ's cheap cockpit materials have been swathed in the finest leather, with aluminum, carbon fiber or wood accents, to the buyer's taste.

If $50,000 sounds a lot for a 1.3-liter micro subcompact, consider this: Every one of the One-77 supercar's buyers have ordered a Cygnet in matching livery. Some have ordered four or five. They use them as traffic-jam commuters, or as cars for spouses and children. Some of the Aston Martin co-branded Jaeger LeCoultre watches cost more than a Cygnet.
While the Cygnet is a Europe-only offering, Aston is actively considering taking it to the U.S. Toyota is homologating the Scion iQ for this market, which acts in the Cygnet's favor. Aston is likely to offer a battery-electric Cygnet, because Toyota is doing the basic technology, too: an EV based on the iQ lands in 2012. Gas and EV Cygnets would go far in ensuring Aston will meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in the U.S.

Aston says whenever it has shown Cygnet concepts, other supercar manufacturers have come sniffing around. They're watching to see whether the Cygnet succeeds so they might give themselves permission to do something similar. Aston wants to build about 1500 this year, and has orders for about 600. Lotus is also considering a city car, to be sold in Asia as a Proton and globally in a more premium Lotus skin. Conversely, a Ferrari insider told us the Cygnet could damage Aston's brand because it is close to the core business. Ferrari's expansion comes from the non-automotive-branded gear sold at its stores. How about a Lamborghini version of the Volkswagen Up? Nope, we just invented that.