Well this had to happen because of poor sales primarily, but it is eventually happening due to the upcoming emission and crash test norms. FCA group might discontinue the Fiat Linea and Punto line of cars from India. While the Linea is sold in a standard sedan fashion, the Punto gets a crossover-ish Avventura variant and also a sporty Abarth version, all of which will not continue to be sold in our market.
For a very long time, Fiat cars have been forgotten in our market. Yes, some enthusiasts love these cars, but nobody is really buying them anymore. Also, FCA has moved their focus to the Jeep brand which is doing rather well, and SUVs have been the market favourite in recent times.
The Fiat Punto and Linea were good drivers cars, but had their share of problems such as lackluster interiors, and some other issues with the drivetrain not being perfect (rear rubbery gear shifts). Both the cars came with petrol and diesel engine options, but never really caught up with the sales trends in respective segments.
Discontinuing the Punto and Linea will allow FCA for more production capacity for the Jeep range. We already know Jeep is preparing 2 new SUVs under the Compass, one of which will be a sub-4 metre compact-SUV and help the brand generate good sales volumes.
