The Aston Martin Cygnet is the only Aston you can drive flat out without fear for your licence. NewsPress
The Aston Martin Cygnet is the only Aston you can drive flat out without fear for your licence. NewsPress

Cygnet is an unconventional, everyday kind of Aston Martin



You might think that stepping out of an Aston Martin DBS and into this tiny, 1.3L powered (and I use that word reservedly, given the modest 98hp output) Aston Martin Cygnet would be something of an anti-climax. There's no denying that the four-cylinder engine's breathless sound and rather flat exhaust note aren't a touch on the rousing timbre of the DBS's 6.0L V12, but it's certainly a lot easier to drive.

As much as super and sports cars thrill, they are a nuisance to use every day. A nice problem to have, admittedly, but people with enough money to buy supercars don't buy more than one car because they can. It's because they need them. A DBS is fine if you're in the mood, but the compromises it brings are huge, not least if the underground parking for your penthouse apartment is on the tight side. Step up the Aston Martin Cygnet.

Motoring Road Test

Ride along as we test drive the latest models here and around the world.

The majority of us motoring journalists have been pretty hard on the Cygnet, but since it was shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show it has fascinated me. Much like I cannot fathom why my wife and her friends aspire to $2,000 handbags, it's impossible for any but the most handsomely paid motoring journalists - of which there are few, save the odd television presenter - to get into the mindset of someone who might buy a Cygnet. Sure, it's about three to four times the amount you'll pay for the mechanically identical Toyota iQ, but that's not the point. I'm sure the factories churning out $2,000 handbags do a sideline in cheaper versions.

No, the Cygnet is interesting because it's different. Those mechanicals stay the same because, really, if you want to go fast in your Aston Martin, you'll do it in your V8 Vantage, DB9, Virage, DBS or, if you're a real high-flyer, the One-77. It's easy enough for us to enthuse about the sports cars because they represent something we're familiar with: the rich buy fast, flash cars. Fact. What's more difficult to comprehend is the thought process behind buying a car like the Cygnet.

Yet Aston Martin isn't the only firm to tap into an upmarket small car; Mini will soon offer a limited run of "Inspired by Goodwood" models, trimmed and painted by Rolls-Royce. We've yet to hear a price, but it'll be handsome. And people will pay it; one of Mini's dealers at the flagship Park Lane London dealership admitted that it wasn't uncommon to sell Minis costing upwards of £40,000 (Dh229,000) By that rationale, the Cygnet makes a lot of sense.

Not least because Aston Martin has re-styled it. Sure, it's not as lithe as its sports cars, but some of the machismo is there - even if it's not quite as thrusting. It's not just a few lashed-up parts either. The Cygnet's grille is a proper metal one, such as those on the sports cars, while every exterior panel, with the exception of the three-quarter and the roof, is unique to the small Aston. Clever extension of the shape of the lights by adding nostril-like vents, new rear lights, front wing vents and unique wheels all make the Cygnet look the part, even if it is unconventional.

If there is a disappointing area, it's not the performance but the interior. Lashings of leather do raise its game, but the areas left in standard Toyota trim let the side down. A bit more handcrafting and less parts - sharing would help, but then Aston Martin has always been partial to a borrowed column stalk, switch and air vent. Thing is, like the sports cars, it's unlikely if you're buying a Cygnet you'll have ever sat in an iQ, so you're unlikely to be too concerned.

Likewise, the Cygnet is never going to create the kind of maniacal face-contorting performance of the sports cars, but it's not without appeal. The iQ upon which it's based is rightly praised for being fun in that unconventional way that tiny engined cars often are. The Cygnet's wide stance helps, meaning it's not as wobbly as its upright, short dimensions might suggest. And while the steering is light on feel and precision, the Cygnet does hang on well - at the speeds it's capable of. For all its limited performance - 0-100kph taking an age at 11.6 seconds - it's actually a bit of a giggle to drive, because it's the only Aston Martin you can drive everywhere pretty much flat out without fearing for your licence. The top speed is apparently 171kph, but you'll run out of road before you ever achieve that.

No, the fun's to be had from just keeping it going; the little 98hp four-cylinder engine's output might be akin to the power needed to keep a One-77's air conditioning running, but it's enough. Just. It's a shame it doesn't sound more charismatic, though the rev-hungry CVT gearbox is not helping. A manual alternative is offered.

I handed it back to Aston Martin enthusing about it, not because it's an exceptional car, but because it's a clever idea. Its execution might not be perfect, but there's merit to the Cygnet. While I cannot comprehend what it must cost to run five houses, fuel a super-yacht or buy a Jaeger Le Coultre Aston Martin AMVOX DBS with a transponder to open the doors of my actual DBS, I can understand why an Aston buyer might want to buy a Cygnet. Whatever anyone else says about it.

The specs

Base price: not available

Engine: 1.3L four-cylinder

Gearbox: CVT

Power: 98hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 125Nm @ 4,400rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.2L/100km

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Teams

Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi

Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag

Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC

Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC

Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes

Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes 

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

Company profile

Company: Eighty6 

Date started: October 2021 

Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh 

Based: Dubai, UAE 

Sector: Hospitality 

Size: 25 employees 

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investment: $1 million 

Investors: Seed funding, angel investors  

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
%3Cp%3ECory%20Sandhagen%20v%20Umar%20Nurmagomedov%0D%3Cbr%3ENick%20Diaz%20v%20Vicente%20Luque%0D%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Chiesa%20v%20Tony%20Ferguson%0D%3Cbr%3EDeiveson%20Figueiredo%20v%20Marlon%20Vera%0D%3Cbr%3EMackenzie%20Dern%20v%20Loopy%20Godinez%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETickets%20for%20the%20August%203%20Fight%20Night%2C%20held%20in%20partnership%20with%20the%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20went%20on%20sale%20earlier%20this%20month%2C%20through%20www.etihadarena.ae%20and%20www.ticketmaster.ae.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lee%20Sang-yong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Don%20Lee%2C%20Lee%20Jun-hyuk%2C%20Munetaka%20Aoki%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)

AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jebel Ali results

2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard

3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson

4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson

5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m

Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Weekender

Get the highlights of our exciting Weekend edition every Saturday

      By signing up, I agree to The National's privacy policy
      Weekender