Looks like the Cygnet, which is nothing more than a reworked Toyota iQ wearing an Aston Martin badge, is headed to the United States.
Aston Martin's been hinting for a while now that it would build the crazy mashup. It always made sense for the European market, where an upscale urban commuter that beats big-city congestion charges might sell well.
But Automotive News, citing absolutely no one, says Aston Martin plans to bring the car to the States. When that'll happen remains to be seen.
We're waiting to hear back from Aston Martin.
Automotive News, among others, questions why Aston might offer the Cygnet here. We'd wager Aston wants to improve the average fuel economy of its fleet to meet the CAFE rules. The iQ reportedly gets Toyota Prius–like fuel economy, which would go a long way toward offsetting the numbers of a car like the Rapide or the DB9 Volante.
To build the Cygnet concept, Aston swaddled a Toyota iQ in loads of leather and added a grille with a grin like the Cheshire Cat. Under the skin, though, it's got the same 1-liter, three-cylinder engine as the 56-mpg Toyota iQ.
That doesn't mean it won't have an Aston-like price tag, though. AE says it'll run $35,000.
Photo: Aston Martin
See Also:
