Always unimpressed by the Aston Martin Cygnet - a microcar based on the Toyota iQ - we think it’s very weird to learn that the Cygnet is being planned for the US market, too. While the Cygnet is only for customers who already have an Aston and so could therefore be argued to be an exclusive accessory to the real thing, it seems strange that the company would even bother to make it available on a market that already hates the Smart ForTwo.

While it’s not the fault of Americans that the Smart ForTwo has been a failure, and neither has it been just because it’s a minicar, the ForTwo has probably dampened US enthusiasm for anything under a hatch model. The rebadged iQ will get an all-electric version in 2013 and while the Cygnet could prove an alternative to the Smart, it is still just an iQ dressed up in fancy (and expensive) Aston Martin finishes.

Luckily though, the Cygnet won’t be the only thing coming from the company in the years to come. We should apparently get a redesigned Aston Martin Vantage in 2014, preceded by a new DB9 in 2013. Production of the limited edition, carbonfibre One-77 should start by year end and we shouldn’t see anything with the Lagonda name attached to it for a few years’ yet (and that’s after the Aston Martin SUV was killed off because…well no-one liked it really).

Source | Automotive News

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