Introduced in 1994, the Fiat Punto was offered in three- or five-doors versions adapted for urban traffic, but still large enough to offer room for four adults inside.
Fiat built the Punto (point) as a replacement for the already old Uno (one). The success came almost immediately due to the four body versions available: hatchback with three and five doors, van, and convertible.

Italdesign Studio was responsible for the car’s design and considered that the era of boxy-looking vehicles was over. As a result, the edges were softer and rounded, and an ascending window-line made the car look sporty. At the back, the taillights were installed on the C-pillars to be protected by small parking bumps, especially in the cities where the push-bumper system was usual in tight side-parking spots.

The biodesign trend just started to get more attention to the market, and that was easy to spot inside the Punto. It featured an unusual-looking dashboard, with a wide scoop extended from left to right and with the instrument cluster in it, and offered a good storage area for the front passenger as well. The wide doors provided easy access inside for the front occupants but limited for the rear ones.

Fiat chose a wide range of engines for a small-segment vehicle for the drivetrain, with power ranged between 54 hp and 136 hp. Al versions were paired to a 5-speed manual and there was no automatic option.