Aston Martin Cygnet City-Car Revealed

Aston Martin have revealed their plans for a city-car, the Cygnet, offering environmentally-conscious motoring and 5-star Euro NCAP safety together with the brand's premium badge.  Based on the Toyota iQ, the Aston Martin Cygnet will apparently be priced at under £20,000 ($33k); it'll also offer dramatically less performance than the company's DBS, DB9 and Vantage models.

It may feel like an April Fools joke – albeit one in late July – but there's actually at least one very good reason for the Cygnet's existence.  Incoming emissions legislation promises to be even more draconian to high-polluting marques, demanding cleaner engines and higher economy.  The rules, however, are based on a company's overall average CO2 and MPG performance, meaning that the frugal Cygnet could help offset Aston Martin's more profligate cars.

The company intends to sell 4,000-5,000 Cygnets per year, once the production model is finalized, differentiating it from the iQ by virtue of its premium finish.  Aston Martin and Toyota apparently began negotiations after sharing garage facilities at the Nürburgring 24-hour race.

[via Times Online]