The Cygnet is Aston Martin’s city car, a nod towards practicality and confirmation that a DB9S isn’t always the best choice for commuting into a crowded and traffic-choked city like London. A repurposed Toyota / Scion iQ, the Cygnet commands a premium price and isn’t even offered for sale to the unwashed masses. Instead, to qualify for Cygnet ownership, you must already own one of Aston’s more significant vehicles.
Even if you’re a member of that exclusive club, ownership doesn’t come cheap. A Scion iQ starts at just over $15,000 in the United States, while the Aston Martin equivalent is priced from roughly $48,000 in the United Kingdom. While the most financially astute among you would point out that this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, since car prices vary widely in the two countries, I’d say that an apples-to-Walkers-shortbread comparison is the best we can do at the moment.
So what does an additional $33,000 buy you? As the video below illustrates, lots of hand-crafted care and premium quality materials that a built-by-robots Japanese econobox can never hope to match. Whether or not the cost difference is worth it depends on your perspective and your bank account; if you already own an Aston Martin, chances are good that you won’t be happy driving a tinny car with a plastic interior.
There are rumors that the Cygnet may make it to this side of the pond, and that prices could start as low as $35,000. We’re not sure that Aston Martin could turn much of a profit at that price, but if they open up sales to us 99-percenters, the volume may make up for it. What’s your take? Would you have any interest in a $35,000 Aston Martin Cygnet?
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
