Aston Martin has confirmed the production of its Cygnet luxury city car for 2011.
Aston Martin has confirmed the production of its Cygnet luxury city car for 2011.
The Cygnet will be manufactured at Aston’s Gaydon Headquarters and marks the completion of the manufacturers’ movement into the more mainstream market.
The Cygnet is the first piece in this change of direction, signifying a major break from tradition for the Warwickshire based brand.
In the form of the premium city car, Aston has branched out from its traditional large performance cars into the small car segment.
Looking to challenge the MINI, there is a fear that the Cygnet will dilute the performance and luxury credentials of the British marquee, however Aston says the “Cygnet demonstrates Aston Martin’s commitment to innovation and integrity."
More realistically the change in tact is borne from increasing pressure for the luxury manufacturer to reduce its average CO₂ emissions across its range, in order to fall in line with EU regulations.
As such the Cygnet will be based on the Toyota IQ and it is expected to use the same 1.33 litre engine as the existing city car.
At three metres long, the luxury city car is tailored to urban driving says Aston and despite its differences from iconic Aston models like the DB9 and the Vanquish, the manufacturer is quick to highlight that the small cars interior will retain the exacting, premium standards synonymous with Aston Martin.
Unsurprisingly, the Cygnet will be Aston’s lowest CO₂ emissions model ever.
Details and pricing will be released nearer to the expected launch date in 2011 or early 2012.