The Aston Martin Cygnet has the potential to become an “icon”, according to company boss Ulrich Bez.
Speaking with Automobilwoche, Bez said the Cygnet had features that made it "advanced, iconic and iconoclastic". He compared its potential status to that achieved by the Aston Martin DB5 that was used in James Bond films in the 1960s.
"The Cygnet is exclusive and bears an exclusive brand name," he added.
See official pics of the Aston Martin Cygnet
The smallest Aston ever is based on Toyota iQs built in Japan, which are then specially imported to the UK for Aston. It will be put into full-scale production at Aston’s Gaydon headquarters in 2011.
The design and build work of the Cygnet is carried out at Gaydon; Aston has incorporated much of its design language into the iQ, including its signature front grille.
Bez defended the Cygnet’s creation in a promotional video last month, saying it’s been primarily designed to help Aston lower its fleet average CO2 emissions in the face of strict upcoming EU legislation.
Steve Cropley blog: Who's to say the Cygnet won't be a success?
“Aston Martin is honest and we don’t make compromises,” he said. “Whatever we do, we do it right. If we do performance, we do performance; we won’t downsize our sports cars.
“The Cygnet needs to satisfy the demands of emissions and space. It is a car without compromise, just like every other Aston Martin."
Bez also said the firm wasn’t currently looking for an automotive partner, despite being linked with Daimler. The firm’s 2009 Lagonda luxury SUV concept was based on the Mercedes GL.
