03.08.2011 JEEP DRIVES CHRYSLER GROUP TO A 20 PERCENT HIKE IN JULY SALES

JEEP COMPASS 2011

The Jeep brand was up 46 percent year-on-year in July, driven by the Wrangler, which set an all-time sales record, and the refreshed Compass compact SUV (above) which posted a 240 percent sales increase, the largest year-over-year sales gain of any Chrysler Group model.

Chrysler Group has reported U.S. sales of 112,026 vehicles for July, a 20 percent year-on-year rise and its best July sales since 2007; however the performance was driven in the main part by Jeep, with all the other brands lagging. That solid performance saw Chrysler Group comfortably beat the overall market as well as its two Detroit rivals, Ford and GM.

All Jeep brand models in fact contributed to the 20 percent July sales increase as Jeep itself was up 46 percent, driven by the Wrangler, which set an all-time sales record, and the refreshed Compass compact SUV which recorded a 240 percent sales increase, the largest year-over-year sales gain of any Chrysler Group model.

All five Jeep brand models posted a sales increase in July compared with the same month a year ago and all Jeep models currently in production have posted year-over-year sales gains every month this year. July was the brand’s best sales volume month since March 2008 and also its 15th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains.

Also contributing to the July sales gain were the Fiat 500, Dodge Durango three-row sport utility, and refreshed Chrysler 200/Sebring mid-size sedan, the star of the Chrysler brand’s award-winning “Born of Fire” Super Bowl commercial, which saw sales more than double (+111 percent). However the 200/Sebring is one of the very few of the facelifted models from either the Chrysler or Dodge brands to gain much traction last month. Chrysler's facelifted flagship 300 series finally edged into positive territory year-on-year (+6 percent) while the ambitiously repositioned and refreshed Town & Country continues to lose ground (-20 percent).

“In a market that remains tougher than a cheap steak, we were able to produce our highest retail sales in more than three years,” Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Dodge Brand and Head of U.S. Sales, said in somewhat curious language to be used in a prepared written statement. “I think that statistic is the ultimate testament to the progress we have made with our product in the areas of fuel economy, quality and design.”

The Chrysler (+5 percent), Jeep (+46 percent), and Dodge (+9 percent) brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in July, while the Fiat brand registered a 68 percent increase compared with the previous month of June 2011. More than five thousand sales for the new Durango SUV helped mask bigger problems for the Dodge brand, the group's volume leader, as all its other models, bar the Caliber (+14 percent), lost ground. The unloved Caliber however is most likely to have been boosted by fleet or discounting to make such gains. Customers shunned the refreshed Avenger (-2 percent), Charger (-11 percent), Journey (-9 percent) and Caravan (-16 percent). The Challenger (-5 percent) also fell.

Ram meanwhile ended the month flat; year-to-date sales at the truck brand are however up by more than a quarter. Chrysler Group meanwhile finished the month with a 72-day supply of inventory (308,880 units). U.S. industry sales figures for July are projected at an estimated 12.4 million SAAR.

Chrysler Group U.S. Sales July 2011


 
Month Sales
Vol %
Sales CYTD
Vol %
Model
Curr Yr
Pr Yr
Change
Curr Yr
Pr Yr
Change
500
3,038
0
0%
7,982
0
0%
FIAT BRAND
3,038
0
0%
7,982
0
0%
200
6,509
0
0%
38,980
0
0%
Sebring
0
3,092
-100%
2,380
24,457
-90%
300
2,415
2,282
6%
16,096
23,159
-30%
PT Cruiser
0
1,235
-100%
1,328
6,152
-78%
Aspen
0
0
0%
0
30
-100%
Town & Country
6,503
8,083
-20%
52,711
69,020
-24%
CHRYSLER BRAND
15,427
14,692
5%
111,495
122,818
-9%
Compass
4,430
1,302
240%
25,191
11,310
123%
Patriot
4,598
4,305
7%
33,751
20,684
63%
Wrangler
14,355
10,043
43%
67,591
56,192
20%
Liberty
5,809
4,893
19%
37,109
27,077
37%
Grand Cherokee
9,499
5,407
76%
63,869
30,869
107%
Commander
0
516
-100%
104
7,105
-99%
JEEP BRAND
38,691
26,466
46%
227,615
153,237
49%
Caliber
3,305
2,904
14%
24,810
26,485
-6%
Avenger
3,626
3,697
-2%
34,099
32,098
6%
Charger
5,344
6,023
-11%
43,185
51,808
-17%
Challenger
3,509
3,695
-5%
23,670
21,361
11%
Viper
14
36
-61%
128
210
-39%
Journey
4,180
4,610
-9%
31,285
30,401
3%
Caravan
6,485
7,755
-16%
63,455
57,678
10%
Nitro
1,826
2,186
-16%
13,984
11,296
24%
Durango
5,364
10
53540%
28,935
46
62802%
DODGE  BRAND
33,653
30,916
9%
263,551
231,383
14%
Dakota
906
1,088
-17%
9,106
7,867
16%
Ram P/U
20,311
20,138
1%
132,209
105,007
26%
Sprinter
0
13
-100%
0
220
-100%
RAM BRAND
21,217
21,239
0%
141,315
113,094
25%
TOTAL DODGE
54,870
52,155
5%
404,866
344,477
18%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
TOTAL CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
112,026
93,313
20%
751,958
620,532
21%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
         TOTAL CAR
27,760
21,729
28%
191,330
179,578
7%
         TOTAL TRUCK
84,266
71,584
18%
560,628
440,954
27%
 

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