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$55,000 Aston Martin heading to Australia
Jez Spinks
March 3, 2011 - 3:36PM

Aston Martin's controversial new city car, the Cygnet, will go on sale locally later this year.

An Aston Martin with a price tag of about $55,000 will go on sale in Australia later this year - but don't expect superspy James Bond to be grasping for the keys.

The Aston Martin Cygnet is a new city car from the British sports-luxury brand that's more commonly associated with expensive supercars and the famous fictional spy.

It's slower than a Toyota Corolla, has only two seats and shares most of its components with a Toyota almost one-quarter its price.

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Aston Martin used this week's 2011 Geneva motor show to unveil the production version of the Cygnet, a car that is essentially a rebadged and restyled version of a microsized Toyota, called the iQ.

Aston had previously suggested the Cygnet wouldn't come to Australia unless it was preceded by the Toyota iQ that starts from £9995 ($16,000) in Britain, but the luxury city car is set to arrive here regardless.

"We're very excited about the prospect of bringing such an exclusive, bespoke and fuel efficient city car to Australia," said Marcel Fabris, Aston Martin's operations manager for Australia and New Zealand.

"From the interest registered with Aston Martin and our dealers over recent months, the Cygnet has the potential to be a very popular and successful addition to the Aston Martin model range in Australia.

"At this stage, indicative pricing for Cygnet would see it start at around £34,000 [$55,000]."

Aston Martin has released the Cygnet in Europe in two special "launch editions" - with a choice of black or white exterior/interior.

Each is equipped with leather seats, 16-inch alloy wheels and a five-piece luggage set custom-made for the Cygnet that includes a glovebox satchel and removable doorpocket.

The exterior is also differentiated from the Toyota iQ, matching other Astons visually with bonnet vents and grille seen on the likes of the Vantage and DB9.

While other Aston Martins are powered either by V8 or V12 engines, the Cygnet uses the same 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine as the iQ.

Front looks like a baby Tezza!!!!