2012 & 2013 Aston Martin Hatchback Reviews & Ratings

Even the experts didn't see this little vehicle coming. The 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet is a very small, very safe city car that has all of the features of a traditional Aston Martin- in a much tinier package. Did we mention the Cygnet is small? Of course, we did. It's just so overwhelming to see the luxurious British automaker Aston Martin produced something so different from its traditional sporty coupes, convertibles, or roadsters. But, what this choice does say about the company, is that its... (full review continues below)

Even the experts didn't see this little vehicle coming. The 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet is a very small, very safe city car that has all of the features of a traditional Aston Martin- in a much tinier package. Did we mention the Cygnet is small? Of course, we did. It's just so overwhelming to see the luxurious British automaker Aston Martin produced something so different from its traditional sporty coupes, convertibles, or roadsters. But, what this choice does say about the company, is that its fully embracing a fuel-efficient future- something that more car buyers seek out every day with the rising prices of standard oil.

The Aston Martin Cygnet is a three-door hatchback based on, and is a relabeled edition of, the Toyota iQ. There is also a Scion (Toyota's small sporty brand) iQ model. The Cygnet was constructed so that Aston Martin is eligible for compliance with the fleet average environmental emissions rules, imposed by the European Union and set to go into effect sometime in 2012. The first Toyota iQ was introduced in 2008 at the Geneva Auto Show. All three of these vehicles find competitors in the Smart Fortwo variants, the Volkswagen Up! minicar and the Fiat 500 minicar.

The Cygnet was originally only available in the UK, but it then made its way to other European countries. Sales and production of the Cygnet began in the first month of 2011. Drivers must know, however, that Aston Martin hasn't been shy about the fact that the Cygnet will first be available to current owners, even though the vehicle's production technically isn't restricted. Aston Martin expects to ship around four-thousand Cygnets each year, with pricing around £30,000- 3 times as much as the Toyota IQ. However, Toyota owners don't get to have the experience of owning an Aston Martin. The interior of the iQ was reworked, and small exterior changes were put in place as well. The standard Cygnet starts at £30,995, or about $44k.

The 2011 Cygnet features a 97 bhp (or 72 kw) 1.3-liter straight-4 engine and fuel efficiency ratings of almost sixty mpg (or about 4 liters/100 km). Standard features include a 6-speed manual transmission and optional continuously variable transmission,16-inch graphite painted diamond-turned alloy wheels, emergency brake assist, vehicle stability control and traction control, leather seating, Mp3 connectivity, automatic climate control, and a portable satellite navigation system with Bluetooth integration.

There are two special launch editions of the Cygnet, in white or black. These editions offer CVT automated or standard manual transmissions and were in production for a limited time. Unique choices of interior fabrics and colors saturate these editions, and a five-piece luggage set comes standard. Pricing starts at £30,995, or about $50 thousand. The 2011 Aston Martin "Cygnet & colette" model is also an option. This vehicle was only built in 14 hand-crafted units and runs at a price of €48,995, or about $69,325. This edition includes a Lightning Silver paint job and colette blue styling details, as well as a complete new line of features, including special "Cygnet & colette" branding.