The legendary supermini has died and won’t likely be replaced.
After 13 years of being in production, the Fiat Punto was taken out of production. This is a sad end for one of the most popular models of the Italian carmaker.
The supermini will not be replaced, and the company intends to use the Punto’s production space at the Melfi plant in Italy to make a second Maserati SUV.
When Sergio Marchionne, late-CEO of Fiat Chrysler, revealed plans for Fiat-Chrysler’s next five-years of model development plans that primarily focused on Alfa Romeo or Jeep, the Punto was one of the most concerning models left out.
The Punto’s first generation, produced between 1993-1999, was named European car of 1995. It was highly praised for its Italian design and practicality. Bertone, an Italian coachbuilder, even built 55,000 convertible versions. These cars were sold around the world.
The second-generation car, which was introduced in 1999, would remain on sale until 2010. Its successor would also be available for purchase. This version featured a more modern Punto styling package. In 2005, the larger, third-generation model was unveiled. They were originally presented as separate models. The Grande Punto was the new car, while the Classic Punto was the older.
After seven years of being on the market, the Punto was renamed its original name in 2012. However, it has been on the market for 13 years and is now considered a classic. The Punto has been consistently outclassed by its opponents – it used to compete against Polos and Fiestas. However, Korean carmakers have since snuck into the fray and beaten it on both price and quality.
The last time the car was known was when it was announced that the creaky Punto had been rated by Euro NCAP crash testers with no stars.