The Fiat Punto has been taken off sale in the UK as production of the model has ended, 13 years after its introduction.
A replacement for the supermini looks unlikely; instead, the space freed up at the company's plant in Melfi, Italy, will be utilised for a second Maserati SUV, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles attempts to ramp up the luxury brand's sales figures.
In its final year on sale, the Punto gained infamy for becoming the first car to receive a zero-star rating from crash safety body Euro NCAP.
The recently discontinued Punto was the third iteration of the model. It originally went on sale in 2005 as the Grande Punto, was facelifted and renamed the Punto Evo in 2009 and then reverted to the original Punto name with a second update in 2012.
It was decided that a new Punto wouldn't be a wise move by late FCA boss Sergio Marchionne following the 2008 economic downturn.
Post-Punto, Fiat will concentrate even more upon its Fiat 500 sales spinner, with a 500e electric car - the brand’s first - and a 500 Giardinera small estate on the way for the next-generation city car, which is due in 2019.
The Fiat Panda is also in line for replacement, while the Fiat Tipo and 124 Spider complete the range.
Read more:
Fiat-Chrysler group: the next five years
Fiat to abandon production of its mass-market cars in Italy
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VW Group will eventually dominate Europe
Fiat hasn't got enough money to invest in another small car. The Punto platform was developed with GM. The new Vauxhall Corsa will be developed on a PSA platform. Ford will soon stop selling the Fiesta in America & other markets, leaving it's replacement in Europe financially non-viable.
VW has the ability to do "small" cars since the Polo platform generates the Audi, Seat, & Skoda versions too.
Fiat's brand image is a
Fiat's brand image is a complete mess, as they're using the same badge to sell "trendy vehicles" e.g. 500, 124 Sport with cheap transport, especially aimed at developing markets, e.g the Tipo and Argo.
New Fiat Punto
mfe wrote:
Yep and a replacement for the Bravo has existed for years, called the Viaggio/Ottimo, using the Giulietta platform and made in China, we should have got that in Europe too.