It's either a marketing disaster or masterstroke. AM knows that all AM owners have a small runabout ( esp London owners),and also they need to get their average C02 down.SO...............allow all AM owners to buy a cignet and halve their C02 as a manufacturer, and the owners can have a proper trendy city car whilst demonstrating that they also have a proper Aston at home so get the pose value. I think it's genius.
I work for Toyota, and the uk Lexus board badly wanted the IQ to be a Lexus for the same reasons.They also felt the quality and engineering were up to the mark for it to be a Lexus.