The little runaround with the big badge
It's not often that the motor industry does anything to surprise us, says Chas Hallett in Autocar. But Aston Martin has "left us stunned". It is launching a £20,000, super-luxury city car, based on the diminutive Toyota iQ.
It's called the Cygnet, and although only at the concept stage right now, it is expected to be offered for sale next year.
Aston will build 1,000 to 2,000 per year, and they will be sold exclusively through Aston dealerships to existing Aston owners, says Steve Cropley, also in Autocar. The idea is to offer it as an option on future sales as a third of Aston owners also own a Mini-sized car.
It may be the same size and shape as the Toyota – it will also likely share the Toyota's three-cylinder engine, and its innovative three-plus-one seating arrangement – but what you will get is definitely an Aston Martin, says Sam Hardy in AutoExpress.
The company will follow "the same unique approach to interior trim, body paint and options as you'd get with the rest of the range, resulting in no two models being alike".
What you've basically got here is a "reliable, economical car with all the refinements of a high-end Aston", says T3 magazine. And if you want "a little runaround with a big badge", this is "not a bad car at all".
It has a Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating, a highly economical, low-emission engine and, "for you lovers of luxury, a full leather interior (on a par with the Aston Martin DBS)".