New Fiat CEO Says Killing The Punto Was A Mistake, Wants Its Back

Fiat already competes in Europe's B-Segment with the Grande Panda, but its new boss believes there is space for another model in the lineup. Fiat CEO Arnaud Belloni, wants to bring back the Punto to fight ICE-powered subcompact hatchbacks like the Renault Clio.

The Fiat Punto debuted in 1993, as a replacement for the Uno. The second generation arrived in 1999, followed by the Grande Punto in 2005. The latter received two major facelifts in 2009 (Punto Evo) and 2012 (Punto), and remained in production until 2018, when it was discontinued without a direct successor.

In a recent interview with L'Automobile Magazine during the 2026 Paris Motor Show, Belloni said: "After the C segment, where Fiat will offer a direct competitor to the Dacia Striker, there's the B segment. A brand like Fiat absolutely must have a Punto in its range."

The newly appointed CEO of Fiat, Abarth, and Lancia, who served as Renault's Global Marketing Director between 2020 and 2026, acknowledged that abandoning the traditional hatchback segment handed rival automakers a free pass to dominate supermini sales across Europe: 

"The discontinuation of the Punto left Renault with a clear path to establish the Clio. Add to that the discontinuation of the Ford Fiesta and the lack of a new Volkswagen Polo, and the Clio found itself alone in the market, achieving triple commercial success. It's high time we reclaimed this territory."

While Fiat is known for adopting a retro styling approach in models like the 500 and the Grande Panda, the next Punto will follow an entirely different direction. 

Belloni gave the example of the sixth-generation Renault Clio, saying that "such a radical redesign" was only possible because there were no strong ties with the past: "it's simply a hatchback in the B-Segment, which allows for total freedom to reinvent it". We guess that Fiat could also start fresh with the new Punto, giving it a modern stance. That would separate it from the rest of the lineup, which is divided into 500-inspired and Panda-themed models. 

A new Fiat Punto could also serve as a base for a future Abarth hot hatch, filling a gap in the segment after the recent demise of the Ford Fiesta ST and VW Polo GTI.

Belloni's vision aligns with earlier comments by the outgoing CEO Olivier François, who had already floated the idea of a revived Punto. In a 2025 interview, François said that a "very sleek and sporty" EV hatchback could work if European buyer preferences shifted back toward traditional cars rather than SUVs and crossovers.

While the previous CEO clarified that a new Punto was not under development last year, it now sounds like an active project. The primary shift under the new leadership comes down to powertrain strategy, as Belloni seems to be interested in offering ICE-powered and hybrid options rather than making it an EV-only affair.

With the Fiat Grande Panda riding on the budget-friendly Smart Car architecture as a sibling to the Citroën C3, the Punto will most likely move upmarket. A great contestant for its underpinnings is the tried-and-tested multi-energy CMP/eCMP, used by the existing family of Stellantis' subcompact hatchbacks and SUVs. This sounds more fitting than the STLA One architecture of the upcoming Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa twins that will be only offered with zero-emission powertrains.

In any case, Fiat is able to develop a new Punto without a huge investment thanks to having access to the Stellantis parts bin. Note that the long-running Grande Punto shared its platform with the Opel Corsa D from General Motors, and two of the main reasons it didn't get a successor was the very high standalone R&D costs and the small profit margins.

The Fiat CEO didn't set a target date for the debut of the subcompact hatchback, but judging from the fact it targets the Renault Clio, it could arrive before the end of the decade. As with the previous generations, the new Punto will be focused on European markets where demand for the small segment remains strong.

Fiat