Aston Martin Cygnet: Supply Issues Hamper Sales
“I’m not satisfied with Cygnet sales,” declared Aston Martin‘s Chairman Dr. Ulrich Bez recently, though it’s not for the usual reasons. Rather than lack of demand, Aston’s main problem with the pint-size city car is actually lack of supply.
That said, wait times for the £31,000 (approximately $48,680 U.S.) machine are now starting to put customers off actually buying one, especially since Bez views the car very much as an impulse buy. “It is the sort of product a customer sees and decides they want on the spot – they don’t want to have to wait for their car to be built, but to drive it away there and then,” he said.
Bez says that in order to get Cygnet sales to where they should be depends on two things, firstly availability, which should improve once the company opens its first Cygnet store in London’s swanky Park Lane district and secondly, by taking a more active approach towards promoting the car, which may take time, given Aston’s limited resources.
In addition, with Toyota scheduled to release an electric version of the iQ, on which the Cygnet is based, it’s very likely that a version of this will form the basis for Aston’s first EV.
Aston’s city car has been a controversial topic since day one, yet in response to those who believe the Cygnet is diluting the Aston Martin brand, Bez had this to say, “it [the Cygnet] is a luxury piece, a great car to go around town in. Why would you take a Vantage through London when you could have this?” He’s got a point.
[Source: Autocar]
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