Report - Next gen Fiat 500 with 5 doors could replace Punto

09/10/2014 - 12:11 | Fiat 500, Fiat Punto Evo, Fiat | Anjan Ravi

Fiat keen on using the 500 nameplate for new cars.

Fiat is in a bit of a fix as it debates on a successor for the B-segment Punto hatchback. In Europe, the Italian company is consolidating its products under the 500 nameplate, and even larger Fiat cars (like a 3-row MPV) carry the 500 branding.

Fiat 500 Rod Arad Edition at the 2014 Paris Motor Show — The next generation of the 500 could come with a 5-door variant that would replace the Punto.

The 500 started life as an iconic small car, but it too has taken the path of the Mini it seems. With models like the 500L, 500L MPW (the MPV) and the new 500X (the crossover), Fiat is keen on using the nameplate to serve larger and newer models that emerge from Turin. With the next generation 500, the company's designer Roberto Giolito, acknowledges that a 5-door model based on it is a possibility.

Fiat Punto Evo front right three quarter at the 2014 Nepal Auto Show — The Punto facelift was launched in India recently, though the model globally has served nearly 10 years now.

Giolito says, however, that it is ultimately the management's decision on whether to have such a model or not. Like the 5-door Mini which was recently launched, a 5-door Fiat 500 could indeed see the light of day, and would serve as a replacement for the now aging Punto which has been on the market since 2005.

Also read: Fiat Avventura variant details surface online

Competitors: Maruti Swift, VW Polo, Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz

Expected Price: INR 4.5-7 lakhs, ex-Showroom

[Source - Car Advice]