Fiat Punto, along with Volkswagen Polo, was one of the few true hot hatches in India
The formation of Stellantis resulted in one of the largest automotive conglomerates in the world. Along with that, it spelled a boon for many auto brands falling under Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Group PSA. All brands now have access to various technologies of all other brands under this newly formed Dutch conglomerate.
This will lead to sharing of powertrains, transmission, platforms, etc which could result in the birth of new models or rebirth of some old ones. The revival of the much-loved Fiat Punto could be a classic tale of the latter. As per the latest development, a successor to the evergreen hot hatch has been confirmed, and it will most likely wear the Punto nameplate.
More Details
During an official presentation, Stellantis announced that Fiat will launch a brand-new B-Segment model in 2023. More importantly, this model will be underpinned by what the company referred to as “a common platform”. This indicates that the new-gen Punto will be based on the very popular CMP (Common Modular Platform) architecture developed by Group PSA.
This architecture currently underpins a variety of models such as Peugeot 208, 2008, and Citroen C4. This platform will also underpin future Citroen models in India including a compact C-segment SUV as well as a micro crossover. Stellantis further revealed that it will premiere an updated version of this platform next year which will be used in future models.
Moreover, the report also mentioned that the upcoming Punto successor could make a return with a mild hybrid or a fully hybrid powertrain in 2023. This could be followed by a fully electric battery-powered version of the hatch in 2024.
The arrival of the new model will also mark the return of Fiat to the B-segment after Punto was discontinued in 2018. This new model will go on sale in Europe first where it will join the brand’s other successful cars like Fiat 500 and the Panda.
Chances Of India launch?
As of now, it is very unlikely that Punto will return to the Indian market primarily because the Fiat brand has been dead in the country for more than two years now. Had it not been that case, the new-gen Punto could have been launched in India since the CMP architecture is being locally developed here. However, it also makes a good case for the upcoming compact Jeep SUV to be underpinned by the same platform.
Punto was first launched in 1993 when it replaced the ageing Uno. It was offered in three derivatives- a two-door (Cabrio), three-door and five-door (Hatchback) body styles. The second-gen model made its debut in 1999 while the third-gen model made its appearance in 2005.
