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For Aston Martin to build a city car is quite a step. For Aston Martin to re-skin the Toyota iQ is a galactic leap. In Britain and the United States, the idea stirred up a storm on enthusiast forums. Calm down, everyone -- there's sense to the idea.
In Europe's city centers, congestion has a whole different meaning than in the U.S. It's not just traffic. The streets were laid down centuries before the automobile was invented. They're a narrow maze of tightly angled junctions, lined with obstructions, and awash with pedestrians. A standard delineated parking spot is about 185 inches long, but many unmarked curbside spaces are smaller. So across the Atlantic, owning a small car isn't just a money-saver. It can be an actual luxury. Driving is easier, and you can more easily squeeze into a parking space. The rich cherish those assets as much as the rest of us. It's not uncommon in London, Paris, or Rome to see Brabus-trimmed versions of the Smart that doubles that car's base price. The Aston Martin Cygnet can multiply the 1.3-liter iQ's entry price by a factor of three, without any mechanical changes. That means it's similar in price to a seriously optioned Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works.
It does have bespoke Aston panels, except for the roof, and the interior is upholstered by Aston's artisans. The metalwork, from the radiator grille to the finishers around the transmission lever, is lovely solid sculpture.
Many Cygnet buyers already own Aston's other models; they tend to get their Cygnets built in a color scheme to match. And many One-77 buyers are ordering up to four coordinated Cygnets. So if forum trolls think the Cygnet is heresy, many actual Aston owners disagree. They're fed up with trying to thread their long-nosed, small-windowed GTs through tight streets. Performance in this environment isn't about 500-odd horsepower; it's more about rapid parking. A 121-inch overall length allows owners to do that.
American Aston Martin buyers want in, too. Because the iQ will be a Scion in the U.S., Aston Martin can sell the Cygnet here, and will do so before the end of 2012. If city convenience isn't an issue here, maybe it's about the rich wanting at least one eco-car in their stable. Besides, Aston-owning parents will now have the smart antidode to their kids' pestering. They can lend their teens the keys to the Aston Martin -- just not the V-8 or V-12.
The Cygnet lacks Aston's wow styling. Remember when you first saw Porsche 911 design cues on an SUV, the Cayenne? Now here are DB9 cues on a microcar. It's disconcerting.
Still, the Cygnet is beautifully finished, with a deep hand-buffed paint luster no Toyota can match. Inside, the retrim is striking, if not entirely comprehensive: Toyota's cheap-feeling switchgear pokes its way through. But your eye is drawn from it because Aston Martin has re-trimmed pretty well every surface. Soft leather, Alcantara, cloth and wool carpet come in a zillion choices of color and texture with stitching like you'd see on the best luggage. There's no in-built navigation or phone integration; instead a mildly customized Garmin hand-held unit docks onto the dash and does both jobs. It actually has more user-friendly ergonomics than Aston's own sports car systems.
Aston Martin added some soft material elsewhere, too; the sound-deadening package is better. This means the little Toyota four-pot doesn't seem to be struggling so hard as it is in the iQ. The optional CVT motivates you smoothly around the city, greasing its way up and down the ratios with nary a hiccup, creeping sweetly in a way DCTs never quite do. There's nothing distinctive or enjoyable about the engine note, especially not if you've ever heard an Aston sports car, so it's as well it's seldom heard above the stereo.
Ride comfort isn't bad when rolling across normal urban highways. Things get tougher when there are potholes, and speed bumps invoke a lot of pitching on the 79-inch wheelbase.
Handling is all about maneuverability. Here the tiny wheelbase and direct electric power steering do just as you'd hope. How about a 158-inch turning circle? Try to get ambitious in a series of curves and you'll find no steering feel, just early onset understeer and an over-protective stability system.
The iQ, and hence Cygnet, are similar width to a normal subcompact. This means in cities where traffic is especially anarchic, you can't make like a motorbike and slip between lines of vehicles. And the width helps stability when speeding down a highway. Also, the two front seats are normal-width. The ones out the back are super-cramped lengthwise. The front passenger's dashboard is hollowed out beneath the windshield so the passenger can slide forward to admit an adult behind them, at least for short trips. But anyone sitting behind the driver best not have legs of any length. Reserve that space for luggage - the trunk is tiny unless one or both rear seats are folded.
Well, this isn't a thoroughbred Aston. But the idea is sensible: In areas where a small car is a luxury, why not a luxury small car?
2011 Aston Martin Cygnet CVT (European version)
Base price Approx $55,000 in UK
Price as tested N/A
Vehicle layout Front engine, FWD, 4-pass, 2-door hatchback
Engine 1.3L/97-hp/92-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4
Transmission CVT automatic
Curb weight 2200 lb (mfr)
Wheelbase 92.7 in
Length x width x height 121.2 x 66.1 x 59.1 in
0-62 mph 11.6 sec (mfr)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ TBA mpg
On sale in U.S. 2012.0
