Fiat is considering bringing the Punto back to its model range, after the car was absent from it since 2018.
„A brand like Fiat must have a Punto in its range,“ Belloni said in an interview with L’Automobile Magazine. According to him, dropping the model gave Renault the opportunity to establish the Clio in the European B-segment of small cars.
As additional factors, he pointed to the discontinuation of the Ford Fiesta and the lack of a long-term update for the Volkswagen Polo with an internal combustion engine. According to Belloni, this gave the Clio the opportunity to achieve a „threefold commercial blow“ in the market, where the model competes with the Dacia Sandero. The idea is for the new Punto to restore the traditional distinction between Fiat’s two small models.
Over the years, the Punto has offered more space, comfort and capabilities for longer journeys. The third generation was introduced in 2005 under the name Grande Punto, with its design developed by Italdesign.
According to Belloni, the future Punto should be more versatile and better suited to driving outside the city, while the Grande Panda will retain its role as the more practical model. The two cars are intended to form a pair below the Fiat 600 SUV.
Belloni ruled out a return to stylistic solutions from the past. „There is no place for neo-retro design here,“ he said, stressing that B-segment cars do not have one strictly defined visual identity. In his view, this gives Fiat the opportunity to create a new Punto without restrictions imposed by previous generations.
The project is linked to the FaSTLAne 2030 strategic plan, in which Fiat is identified as a priority brand within Stellantis. For now, however, the company has announced neither a premiere date nor technical specifications or production parameters for the future model.