Aston Martin Cygnet car, photos, pictures, prices and specifications
2011 Aston martin cygnet
Badge-engineering has a bad name in the industry for a reason. It’s essentially a cheap way to expand a brand’s portfolio, but it does not respect heritage and brand values. Think of the ridiculous Chevy TrailBlazer–based Saab 9-7X or, further back, Cadillac grafting its logo onto a Chevrolet Cavalier and selling it as the Cimarron.
Imagine then what the Cygnet, an awkwardly restyled version of the 117.5-inch-long Toyota iQ minicar, is going to do to the image of Aston Martin, one of the most prestigious ultra-luxury brands and self-proclaimed “world leader in exclusive niche engineering.” Believe it or not, the blobby Aston Martin Cygnet, which is only a concept for now, is set to go on sale in Europe in the first half of next year.
The Toyota iQ was launched in January 2009 as Toyota’s answer to the rear-engine Smart. (It is likely to come to America soon badged as a Scion.) Unlike the Smart, but in typical Toyota fashion, the iQ is conservatively engineered. The tiny four-seater houses its powerplant up front and rides on a platform that draws heavily from the bigger Yaris. Weight varies depending on equipment and engine, but the iQ generally tips the scales at just over a ton.
According to an Aston Martin spokesperson, the company does not plan any changes to the iQ’s powertrain, and the Cygnet will likely become available with the iQ’s full set of powerplants. This includes a 67-hp, 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine; an 89-hp, 1.4-liter turbo-diesel; and a 97-hp, 1.3-liter gasoline four-banger. Toyota offers five- and six-speed manuals as well as a continuously variable transmission. With the most powerful unit, the Cygnet will be able to run from 0 to 60 mph in a leisurely 12 seconds or so. Top speed is quoted at 106 mph for the Toyota, and traveling that speed in the Cygnet should prove as thrilling as doing 200 mph in its supercar, er, siblings.
The iQ’s roof and door panels, and even the headlights and side mirrors, are carried over for the Cygnet. Of course, the Aston is also stuck with the iQ’s cartoonish proportions. The main changes pertain to the front end, which makes a comical attempt at being a grown-up Aston Martin by wearing the company’s trademark grille, as well as busy-looking air scoops which the Aston design team managed to squeeze onto the flanks and tiny hood. The interior is likely to be more sumptuous and more attractive than the iQ’s, offering multiple personalization choices at a similar level to that currently offered with other (actual) Aston Martins, according to the spokesperson.
The Aston tinsel comes at a price. “It is too early for us to specify an exact price,” Aston offers, “but we believe the Cygnet will be offered for around €25,000 to €30,000”—the equivalent of $35,000 to $42,000. By contrast, in Germany, the genuine article from Toyota starts at around €13,000 for a five-speed 1.0-liter and rises to just under €17,000 for a 1.3-liter with the CVT.
While the Cygnet’s styling, package, and powertrain may not endear it to current Aston Martin owners, its sheer exclusivity might convince some of them to buy one anyway. Because an Aston—or Lagonda—owner is what you need to be to be allowed to purchase the Cygnet, at least at the beginning. This arrangement will spare dealers the inconvenience of having common folk pulling up in their 9-7X or Cimarron, hoping to trade it in for a fuel-sipping runabout with a flashier badge, and Aston CEO Ulrich Bez sees the car as serving current Aston owners in a role “akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht.“ (Besides, Cygnets will make great service loaners for Aston dealers, and who wants to parallel park a DBS for a quick run to Tesco to grab a packet of crisps?)
The chances the U.S. market will be spared are slim. “Our immediate priority is with existing Aston Martin customers and we will start to make the Cygnet available in Europe first. We would expect our existing largest markets, such as Italy, Germany, France, and the U.K., to have the highest demand. However, the U.S. will be a priority too,” Aston Martin offers. We can’t wait.
This summer, we reported on the ridiculous possibility of Aston restyling the Toyota iQ and calling it the Cygnet. Now it’s here.
All we saw before was a picture of a styling mockup that resembled a first-semester design student’s effort to apply the Aston Martin styling language to the iQ. The task was achieved not by a philosophical analysis of the bigger, Henrik Fisker–styled models and an original application onto a smaller platform. Instead, the styling department has grafted shrunken variations of the well-known Aston headlight contour, air intakes, and side scoops onto the iQ at what seems to be minimal cost.
Now we see the final product and, alas, it looks exactly like the design proposal. We also get treated to a picture of the rear; the Cygnet gets a unique rear bumper and taillights, and—we still find it hard to believe—the Aston Martin logo. The wheels are exclusive to the Cygnet as well.
The interior of the Cygnet is a spiced-up version of the iQ’s; there is leather and beautiful stitching everywhere, the instrument graphics are altered, and the iPod touch prominently featured on the dashboard hints that Cygnet drivers probably have many things in mind which are more important than serious motoring.
The interior shot also betrays the transmission used: Toyota's Multidrive box, a continuously variable transmission which is just perfect for buzzing around town in a Japanese minicar. Mark it down as another first for Aston.
Toyota will deliver iQs to the Aston Martin factory in Gaydon, where they will be completed. Likely to be priced in the equivalent of the $35,000 to $42,000 range, they have already been met with eager interest by current Aston Martin owners, the company claims. And you need to be one of those to qualify for buying the tiny Cygnet—at least for the time being. Not a bad marketing ploy.
"Launching in 2010 is our target," says an Aston Martin spokesperson, adding that "Continental Europe and the U.K. are our priorities now, but we won't rule out a U.S. launch.” We can hear it now: “Daddy, can I have one?”
None of this history, however, has anything to do with Aston Martin’s diminutive Cygnet. That’s because the Cygnet is actually a Scion iQ with bespoke exterior styling, interior trimmings and a 333 percent price increase.
Major cosmetic changes to the Cygnet’s exterior from the Scion iQ include Aston Martin’s signature grille, non functional-hood and fender vents, LED-taillights, and Aston Martin contour headlights. Inside, the little Scion’s interior is made fit for an Aston with altered instrument graphics, an iPod touch dock on the center console, and leather seating surfaces.
The Cygnet’s powertrain represents several firsts for a modern Aston Martin. It is the first Aston Martin in more than 60 years to utilize a four cylinder engine, in this case a tiny, unrefined 1.3-liter unit producing the same 94 horsepower and 89 lb-ft. of torque as the iQ.
Sadly, the Cygnet is also the first Aston of all time to use a continuously variable transmission, a buzzy and droning device also borrowed from the iQ that is intended to eke out every last MPG from the tiny engine. Fuel efficiency is a combined 37 MPG.
Aston Martin is quick to point out that the Cygnet is assembled by the same technicians and craftspeople that make its sports cars.
The Aston Martin Cygnet is a luxury 2+2 hot hatch manufactured by Aston Martin since 2011, and derived from the Toyota iQ. Its purpose is to allow Aston Martin to comply with the European Union's fleet average emissions standards to take place in 2012
The Cygnet will be available initially only in the UK, and then to other EU countries. Production and sales commenced in January 2011 and the market coverage will expand by 2012.[2] Sales will not be restricted; however, it is expected that demand from existing Aston Martin owners for Cygnet would initially take priority. Aston CEO Ulrich Bez recently announced shipping expectations of about 4000 per year at a price of about £30,000.[3] Bez states that the Cygnet demonstrates the company's commitment to innovation and integrity, whilst respecting the need to satisfy demands of emissions and space.
The Cygnet has 98 bhp (73 kW; 99 PS) 1.3L straight-4 engine, it produces 110g of CO2/km and the fuel consumption is 58.9 mpg-US (3.99 L/100 km; 70.7 mpg-imp).[4]
In BBC's Top Gear car show (Season 15, Episode 3), the Cygnet was made fun of in the "News" section of the programme. Presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond unanimously expressed distaste for the concept.
Well, certainly nothing in the engine bay or the chassis itself. Aston has chosen not to alter the mechanical package at all. The Cygnet gets the larger 1.33-litre VVT engine (there’s no 1.0-litre option) with 97bhp at 6000rpm and 92lb ft at 4400rpm. You can have a six-speed manual at £30,995 or a CVT auto at £32,115. That makes this Aston rather, erm, slow. It tops out at 106mph and covers the 0-62mph dash in a yawning 11.8 seconds. However, zipping through London it feels just about quick enough, although it needs to be revved quite hard to deliver the goods.
The real transformation is the exterior styling and the interior detailing. There’s leather everywhere inside and Aston claim is uses the same number of hides to trim a Cygnet as it does a DB9 or Virage. The result is rather odd. It’s great that some of the iQ’s poor quality trim is covered up, but the way the exquisite Aston materials butt up against cheap plastic is very odd.
It can’t quite mask the humble roots of the Cygnet. The grab handles are a case in point. Simple, cheap plastic items wrapped in hand-stitched leather. What did Obama say about pigs and lipstick again? There are 22 different hides offered and 30 exterior colours. If you want a different colour, it’ll be an extra £5495.
Externally the Cygnet only shares a roof panel with the iQ, everything else is bespoke. So there are new door skins, wings, bonnet, light units… the list goes on. Once all the panels are refitted the surface is flatted and then painted in Aston’s own booth for the full Aston-quality finish. It certainly looks beautifully finished and it’s chunkier and more expensive-looking than the iQ. However, most will find the Aston grille looks a bit incongruous. I know we like to moan that all Astons look the same… but this could be a step too far!
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
2011 Aston martin cygnet
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
Launch Editions we are sure that until now you already know how difficult is to get an 2011 aston martin cygnet
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
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| 2011 Aston martin cygnet |
Badge-engineering has a bad name in the industry for a reason. It’s essentially a cheap way to expand a brand’s portfolio, but it does not respect heritage and brand values. Think of the ridiculous Chevy TrailBlazer–based Saab 9-7X or, further back, Cadillac grafting its logo onto a Chevrolet Cavalier and selling it as the Cimarron.
Imagine then what the Cygnet, an awkwardly restyled version of the 117.5-inch-long Toyota iQ minicar, is going to do to the image of Aston Martin, one of the most prestigious ultra-luxury brands and self-proclaimed “world leader in exclusive niche engineering.” Believe it or not, the blobby Aston Martin Cygnet, which is only a concept for now, is set to go on sale in Europe in the first half of next year.
The Toyota iQ was launched in January 2009 as Toyota’s answer to the rear-engine Smart. (It is likely to come to America soon badged as a Scion.) Unlike the Smart, but in typical Toyota fashion, the iQ is conservatively engineered. The tiny four-seater houses its powerplant up front and rides on a platform that draws heavily from the bigger Yaris. Weight varies depending on equipment and engine, but the iQ generally tips the scales at just over a ton.
According to an Aston Martin spokesperson, the company does not plan any changes to the iQ’s powertrain, and the Cygnet will likely become available with the iQ’s full set of powerplants. This includes a 67-hp, 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine; an 89-hp, 1.4-liter turbo-diesel; and a 97-hp, 1.3-liter gasoline four-banger. Toyota offers five- and six-speed manuals as well as a continuously variable transmission. With the most powerful unit, the Cygnet will be able to run from 0 to 60 mph in a leisurely 12 seconds or so. Top speed is quoted at 106 mph for the Toyota, and traveling that speed in the Cygnet should prove as thrilling as doing 200 mph in its supercar, er, siblings.
The iQ’s roof and door panels, and even the headlights and side mirrors, are carried over for the Cygnet. Of course, the Aston is also stuck with the iQ’s cartoonish proportions. The main changes pertain to the front end, which makes a comical attempt at being a grown-up Aston Martin by wearing the company’s trademark grille, as well as busy-looking air scoops which the Aston design team managed to squeeze onto the flanks and tiny hood. The interior is likely to be more sumptuous and more attractive than the iQ’s, offering multiple personalization choices at a similar level to that currently offered with other (actual) Aston Martins, according to the spokesperson.
The Aston tinsel comes at a price. “It is too early for us to specify an exact price,” Aston offers, “but we believe the Cygnet will be offered for around €25,000 to €30,000”—the equivalent of $35,000 to $42,000. By contrast, in Germany, the genuine article from Toyota starts at around €13,000 for a five-speed 1.0-liter and rises to just under €17,000 for a 1.3-liter with the CVT.
While the Cygnet’s styling, package, and powertrain may not endear it to current Aston Martin owners, its sheer exclusivity might convince some of them to buy one anyway. Because an Aston—or Lagonda—owner is what you need to be to be allowed to purchase the Cygnet, at least at the beginning. This arrangement will spare dealers the inconvenience of having common folk pulling up in their 9-7X or Cimarron, hoping to trade it in for a fuel-sipping runabout with a flashier badge, and Aston CEO Ulrich Bez sees the car as serving current Aston owners in a role “akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht.“ (Besides, Cygnets will make great service loaners for Aston dealers, and who wants to parallel park a DBS for a quick run to Tesco to grab a packet of crisps?)
The chances the U.S. market will be spared are slim. “Our immediate priority is with existing Aston Martin customers and we will start to make the Cygnet available in Europe first. We would expect our existing largest markets, such as Italy, Germany, France, and the U.K., to have the highest demand. However, the U.S. will be a priority too,” Aston Martin offers. We can’t wait.
This summer, we reported on the ridiculous possibility of Aston restyling the Toyota iQ and calling it the Cygnet. Now it’s here.
All we saw before was a picture of a styling mockup that resembled a first-semester design student’s effort to apply the Aston Martin styling language to the iQ. The task was achieved not by a philosophical analysis of the bigger, Henrik Fisker–styled models and an original application onto a smaller platform. Instead, the styling department has grafted shrunken variations of the well-known Aston headlight contour, air intakes, and side scoops onto the iQ at what seems to be minimal cost.
Now we see the final product and, alas, it looks exactly like the design proposal. We also get treated to a picture of the rear; the Cygnet gets a unique rear bumper and taillights, and—we still find it hard to believe—the Aston Martin logo. The wheels are exclusive to the Cygnet as well.
The interior of the Cygnet is a spiced-up version of the iQ’s; there is leather and beautiful stitching everywhere, the instrument graphics are altered, and the iPod touch prominently featured on the dashboard hints that Cygnet drivers probably have many things in mind which are more important than serious motoring.
The interior shot also betrays the transmission used: Toyota's Multidrive box, a continuously variable transmission which is just perfect for buzzing around town in a Japanese minicar. Mark it down as another first for Aston.
Toyota will deliver iQs to the Aston Martin factory in Gaydon, where they will be completed. Likely to be priced in the equivalent of the $35,000 to $42,000 range, they have already been met with eager interest by current Aston Martin owners, the company claims. And you need to be one of those to qualify for buying the tiny Cygnet—at least for the time being. Not a bad marketing ploy.
"Launching in 2010 is our target," says an Aston Martin spokesperson, adding that "Continental Europe and the U.K. are our priorities now, but we won't rule out a U.S. launch.” We can hear it now: “Daddy, can I have one?”
None of this history, however, has anything to do with Aston Martin’s diminutive Cygnet. That’s because the Cygnet is actually a Scion iQ with bespoke exterior styling, interior trimmings and a 333 percent price increase.
Major cosmetic changes to the Cygnet’s exterior from the Scion iQ include Aston Martin’s signature grille, non functional-hood and fender vents, LED-taillights, and Aston Martin contour headlights. Inside, the little Scion’s interior is made fit for an Aston with altered instrument graphics, an iPod touch dock on the center console, and leather seating surfaces.
The Cygnet’s powertrain represents several firsts for a modern Aston Martin. It is the first Aston Martin in more than 60 years to utilize a four cylinder engine, in this case a tiny, unrefined 1.3-liter unit producing the same 94 horsepower and 89 lb-ft. of torque as the iQ.
Sadly, the Cygnet is also the first Aston of all time to use a continuously variable transmission, a buzzy and droning device also borrowed from the iQ that is intended to eke out every last MPG from the tiny engine. Fuel efficiency is a combined 37 MPG.
Aston Martin is quick to point out that the Cygnet is assembled by the same technicians and craftspeople that make its sports cars.
The Aston Martin Cygnet is a luxury 2+2 hot hatch manufactured by Aston Martin since 2011, and derived from the Toyota iQ. Its purpose is to allow Aston Martin to comply with the European Union's fleet average emissions standards to take place in 2012
The Cygnet will be available initially only in the UK, and then to other EU countries. Production and sales commenced in January 2011 and the market coverage will expand by 2012.[2] Sales will not be restricted; however, it is expected that demand from existing Aston Martin owners for Cygnet would initially take priority. Aston CEO Ulrich Bez recently announced shipping expectations of about 4000 per year at a price of about £30,000.[3] Bez states that the Cygnet demonstrates the company's commitment to innovation and integrity, whilst respecting the need to satisfy demands of emissions and space.
The Cygnet has 98 bhp (73 kW; 99 PS) 1.3L straight-4 engine, it produces 110g of CO2/km and the fuel consumption is 58.9 mpg-US (3.99 L/100 km; 70.7 mpg-imp).[4]
In BBC's Top Gear car show (Season 15, Episode 3), the Cygnet was made fun of in the "News" section of the programme. Presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond unanimously expressed distaste for the concept.
Well, certainly nothing in the engine bay or the chassis itself. Aston has chosen not to alter the mechanical package at all. The Cygnet gets the larger 1.33-litre VVT engine (there’s no 1.0-litre option) with 97bhp at 6000rpm and 92lb ft at 4400rpm. You can have a six-speed manual at £30,995 or a CVT auto at £32,115. That makes this Aston rather, erm, slow. It tops out at 106mph and covers the 0-62mph dash in a yawning 11.8 seconds. However, zipping through London it feels just about quick enough, although it needs to be revved quite hard to deliver the goods.
The real transformation is the exterior styling and the interior detailing. There’s leather everywhere inside and Aston claim is uses the same number of hides to trim a Cygnet as it does a DB9 or Virage. The result is rather odd. It’s great that some of the iQ’s poor quality trim is covered up, but the way the exquisite Aston materials butt up against cheap plastic is very odd.
It can’t quite mask the humble roots of the Cygnet. The grab handles are a case in point. Simple, cheap plastic items wrapped in hand-stitched leather. What did Obama say about pigs and lipstick again? There are 22 different hides offered and 30 exterior colours. If you want a different colour, it’ll be an extra £5495.
Externally the Cygnet only shares a roof panel with the iQ, everything else is bespoke. So there are new door skins, wings, bonnet, light units… the list goes on. Once all the panels are refitted the surface is flatted and then painted in Aston’s own booth for the full Aston-quality finish. It certainly looks beautifully finished and it’s chunkier and more expensive-looking than the iQ. However, most will find the Aston grille looks a bit incongruous. I know we like to moan that all Astons look the same… but this could be a step too far!
2011 Aston martin cygnet
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