Currently reading: Fiat Punto taken off sale after 13 years
Hatchback is no longer available for sale in the UK and production has ceased; a replacement is unlikely

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

Fiat Punto gets Euro NCAP’s first ever zero-star rating

Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne dies aged 66

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Read our review

Car review

Decently spacious for a supermini, with a good range of engines, but the Punto's driving dynamics are less-than beguiling

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jagdavey 11 August 2018

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.

 

Mikey C 8 August 2018

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.

mfe 8 August 2018

New Fiat Punto

The real shame is a replacement already exists. It's called the Fiat Argo and would be fairly easy to re engineer into a UK Punto. It won't be coming here though because it's cheap and may steal sales from the 500!
typos1 8 August 2018

mfe wrote:

mfe wrote:

The real shame is a replacement already exists. It's called the Fiat Argo and would be fairly easy to re engineer into a UK Punto. It won't be coming here though because it's cheap and may steal sales from the 500!

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.