The Peugeot 208 has an Italian touch.
Mike Manley, FCA CEO, strongly suggested that Fiat will abandon its minicar segment in order to try and shift customers to the larger “B” segment during the company’s third quarter earnings call. This would effectively mean the end to the Panda and 500, even though Panda was the most popular car in its category in Europe during the first half. While the 500 will continue to exist as an EV, the 500e is due in 2020. However, those looking for small Fiats with a combustion engine may have to look elsewhere. FCA’s plan for buyers to move to the larger B-segment is flawed because Fiat doesn’t have a subcompact car available in Europe today, following the death of the Punto. This could change with FCA merging with PSA. One scenario that might be possible is the Punto’s return using the same CMP platform, the new Opel Corsa and Peugeot 208. Our rendering this week shows a fourth-generation Italian supermini. It borrows styling cues from the Fiat Argo. This is a compact hatchback that was sold in South America. Also, the Cronos sedan. To avoid product overlap with the Corsa or 208, a revived Punto might be the low-cost version and compete with the next-generation Dacia Sandero.
It is too early to know if the Punto small will be returning, considering that the FCA/PSA merger has yet to be finalized. The two automotive conglomerates announced plans to re-join forces for a 50/50 deal. Fiat could revive the Punto moniker, as it is a name that has been around for more than 9 million copies and was in production for 25 years (1993-2018). Also, Punto’s image suffered a bit when Euro NCAP declared it the first vehicle to receive a zero star rating in the crash tests. So maybe it would be wiser to start fresh.