April 2014: Chrysler Group LLC

[William Maley]

Chrysler Group LLC Reports April 2014 U.S. Sales Increased 14 Percent; Best April Sales Since 2007

• 49th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains
• Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT brands each post sales gains in April compared with same month a year ago
• Jeep brand records its best sales month ever; April sales up 52 percent
• Ram pickup truck sales up 17 percent; best ever April sales
• Seven Chrysler Group vehicles set April sales records
• New 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger debut at the 2014 New York International Auto Show
• Ward’s names all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 and 2014 Jeep Cherokee to its prestigious 10 Best Interiors List for 2014
• Chrysler, Dodge and SRT brands win awards at the Texas Auto Writer’s 2014 Auto Roundup

May 1, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 178,652 units, a 14 percent increase compared with sales in April 2013 (156,698 units), and the group’s best April sales since 2007.

The Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in April compared with the same month a year ago. The Jeep brand’s 52 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand during April and its best sales month ever. Chrysler Group extended its streak of year-over-year sales gains to 49-consecutive months in April.

“Strong consumer demand for our Jeep sport-utility vehicles and Ram pickup trucks continued in April as Chrysler Group extended its streak to 49-consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains,” said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales. “The spring selling season is heating up as our Jeep brand had its best monthly sales ever. Both of our minivans had a strong April and the Ram pickup truck had its best April sales ever.”

Seven Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in the month of April. The Jeep Compass recorded its best sales month ever. The Ram pickup truck, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Journey, and Ram Cargo Van each posted their best sales for the month of April. Both minivans had a good month. Sales of the Dodge Grand Caravan were up 36 percent in April, the largest year-over-year percentage sales increase of any Dodge brand model in April, while sales of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan increased 16 percent.

Chrysler Group finished the month of April with a 74 days supply of inventory (505,965 units). U.S. industry sales figures for April are internally projected at an estimated 16.3 million units Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR).

April 2014 U.S. Sales Highlights by Brand

Jeep® Brand
Jeep brand sales were up 52 percent in April, the brand’s best monthly sales ever and the largest percentage sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand for the month. The Jeep Compass logged its best sales month ever, while the Jeep Wrangler and Patriot each set a sales record for the month of April. Sales of the Patriot compact SUV were up 44 percent, the largest percentage sales gain of any Jeep brand vehicle during the month.

Sales of the all-new Jeep Cherokee, just named to Ward’s list of the “10 Best Interiors for 2014,” were up 9 percent compared with sales in the previous month of March. In addition to the Ward’s accolade, the Cherokee in April was named the “SUV of the Year” by the voting media members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) association. The flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee, with its 4 percent year-over-year increase, had its best April sales in nine years.

The all-new 2015 Jeep Renegade made its North American debut last month at the New York International Auto Show. True to the Jeep brand, the Renegade is the most capable, fuel-efficient and technologically advanced small SUV ever. With a pair of new 4x4 systems, two fuel-efficient MultiAir engines, and available, segment-first nine-speed automatic transmission that helps achieve more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway, the Renegade is engineered to deliver new levels of capability and innovation in the small SUV segment.

Ram Truck Brand
Sales of the Ram pickup truck were up 17 percent in April, the truck’s best ever April sales performance and its 48th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. Ram Light Duty sales increased 7 percent in April, while Ram Heavy Duty pickups were up 32 percent. The Ram 1500 and 2500 pickups were named “Top Rated Vehicles” by Edmunds.com during the New York International Auto Show press days last month. In addition, the 1500 was named a 2014 Automobile Magazine All-Star by the publication’s editorial staff for the second year in a row and the fourth time in the past five years. With its 77 percent increase, the Ram Cargo Van logged its best ever April sales, while the Ram ProMaster van posted an 11 percent increase compared with the previous month of March.

Ram Truck brand sales were up 22 percent in April, the brand’s best sales in the month of April since 2006. The brand unveiled the 2014 Ram Power Wagon, the most off-road capable pickup, at the New York International Auto Show last month. Built to master the most rigorous off-road trails, the Power Wagon is based on the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty 4x4 Crew Cab, and features a number of off-road-specific engineering enhancements, including a unique suspension with more than two inches of lift, locking differentials and a 12,000-pound winch to give the truck a significant advantage over all production pickups.

FIAT Brand
FIAT brand sales were up 10 percent in April, the brand’ best sales performance ever in the month of April and its fifth-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. With its 60 percent year-over-year increase, the Fiat 500 Cabrio Abarth posted the largest percentage sales gain of any Fiat 500 model in April.

The high-performance 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, showcased at last month’s New York International Auto Show, will be available with an optional six-speed automatic transmission, helping to broaden the customer base for the high-performance version of the 500. Adding the optional automatic transmission makes the 500 Abarth and 500 Abarth Cabrio accessible to an entirely new group of customers who want to enjoy the thrilling driving experience of the 500 Abarth with the convenience of an automatic gearbox.

Dodge Brand
Dodge brand sales were up slightly in April, compared with the same month a year ago. It was the Dodge brand’s best April sales since 2008. The Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Journey mid-size crossover each posted their best April sales ever, while the Dodge Durango full-size SUV recorded its best April sales in nine years. Durango sales were up 4 percent in April compared with the same month a year ago, extending its run of year-over-year sales gains to 18-consecutive months. The Journey has set three consecutive monthly sales records this year, including an all-time record in March. Sales of the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan were up 36 percent in April, the largest percentage sales gain of any Dodge vehicle during the month.

The Dodge brand unveiled the new 2015 Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger at last month’s New York International Auto Show. These iconic performance cars will go on sale in the U.S. later this year. The brand completely re-engineered the Challenger with a new best-in-class 485 hp 392 HEMI and TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission powertrain, an upgraded suspension, new class-exclusive technologies and a completely new interior.

The new Dodge Charger gets a full-body makeover for 2015 along with powertrain updates that include a standard TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission on both the Charger’s standard 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine and, new for 2015, the R/T equipped 5.7-liter HEMI V-8. Dodge designers have resculpted nearly every single body panel of the Dodge Charger for 2015, giving it a sleek, nimble appearance.

The Dodge Dart took home the Compact Car of Texas award last month from the Texas Auto Roundup hosted by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA).

Chrysler Brand
Sales of the award-winning Chrysler Town & Country minivan were up 16 percent in April, compared with the same month a year ago. It was the minivan’s best April sales since 2010 and its ninth-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The Town & Country was named the Minivan of Texas and the Family Car of Texas at last month’s TAWA Texas Auto Roundup. In addition, the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 took home the Mid-Size Sedan of Texas award, while the Chrysler 300 was named Full-Size Sedan of Texas. Sales of the 300 were up 16 percent in April compared with the same month a year ago.

Chrysler brand sales were down 21 percent in April, reflecting the end of production of the 2014 Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan and convertible. Shipments of the 2015 Chrysler 200 to dealers is expected to begin this quarter. The interior of the all-new 200 was lauded last month when Ward’s placed the 2015 Chrysler 200 on its list of its “10 Best Interiors for 2014.”

[Drew Dowdell]

To everyone who poopooed on the new Cherokee when it was unveiled.... Jeep is laughing all the way to the bank. At 15,007 units for April, the Cherokee outsold the Sportage and Sorento combined, the Forrester (April Sales - 11,547), and the Santa Fe (April Sales - 8,997). It is within spitting distance of the new Rogue (April - 15,066). Next stop, Rav-4 (April Sales - 18,834)

Shame Dodge can't catch a similar break with the Dart.

[A Horse With No Name]

Dart is a nice car but below par for it's class.

[2QuickZ's]

I've driven several Darts and in all honesty, I like them better than the Cruze I just bought. Even the 1.4T that for whatever reason is "unloved." Maybe it is because I am used to turbo 4's with even worse turbo lag. lol Anyway, I picked the Cruze over a Dart for one reason: the diesel engine. If it weren't for that, I would be in a Dart. I don't get the lack of love for the Dart and (this is not directed at you specifically) I wonder how many people that criticize it have ever even sat in one, let alone drove it. I think it is a pretty nice car. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

The Cherokee sales numbers really are amazing! I wonder if it can keep up the pace for the whole year.

[A Horse With No Name]

I have driven the dart, nice car, but unimpressed with the audio system and the fuel economy.

[Drew Dowdell]

I've driven several Darts and in all honesty, I like them better than the Cruze I just bought. Even the 1.4T that for whatever reason is "unloved." Maybe it is because I am used to turbo 4's with even worse turbo lag. lol Anyway, I picked the Cruze over a Dart for one reason: the diesel engine. If it weren't for that, I would be in a Dart. I don't get the lack of love for the Dart and (this is not directed at you specifically) I wonder how many people that criticize it have ever even sat in one, let alone drove it. I think it is a pretty nice car. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

The Cherokee sales numbers really are amazing! I wonder if it can keep up the pace for the whole year.

What I don't like about the Dart is the ride and handling. It's bad enough to be a real deal-breaker for me. Cars like the Elantra and Forte aren't remarkable in this department, but they aren't bad. The Dart felt a good 15 years behind...like they found the tooling for the old Neon and said "Hey! This will fit!"

[A Horse With No Name]

You have to be patient with Chryco, they are going through tough times. Drop your expectation for the brand from anything other than Jeep, honestly.

[2QuickZ's]

I don't know, I don't think you have to drop your expectations for my Charger. It has bee a great, trouble free car for the 1.5 years I've had it. My wife even loves it. It is the main reason I considered a Dart. My parents and my sister-in-law both have Durangos (2014 & 2013 respectively) and they both absolutely love them. My Dad, (a GM retiree) loves his Chrysler T&C to. He has had that for 2 years w/out any problems other than maybe a trans cal reflash. Hell, my Mom even loves the T&C and she historically has pretty much hated every vehicle my Dad has ever bought for himself! LOL

Obviously Chrysler still has a way to go but I definitely feel like they are on the right path. Pretty much everything they have launched since 2011 has been at least competitive.

[A Horse With No Name]

The problem is that they re shooting at a moving target and everyone else has gotten better as well. Jeeps, trucks and minivans are fantastic. Regular production automobiles leave a lot to be desired IMHO.

[Drew Dowdell]

The 200 shows promise, though admittedly I haven't driven it yet.

[A Horse With No Name]

The 200 shows promise, though admittedly I haven't driven it yet.

Again, moving target. Look at that Malibu and impala. Impala is class leading, Malibu is so so. Chevrolet needs a much better car to compete with the fusion,chryco once again is wildly behind the curve.

[jwbouch]

I have never been a mopar guy, but no other domestic brand (can Chrysler still be considered domestic?) sells the type of vehicle that I want. A large rear wheel drive sedan with a V8. Chevy offers the SS, but when I was at the Philly auto show, I heard a gentleman and his friend arguing that the SS was a Malibu. To me, that sums up the problem with the SS, boring to look at!

My Charger has been the most enjoyable car I've ever owned, and for the first time in my life, I'm not looking for a new car after 10k miles!

I am thoroughly happy that I got the Charger I did, because after seeing the new one in NY, I'm not interested in it any more. They took a very distinctive car with a lot of character and rounded it off and took the excitement out of it - IMHO.

Not sure this has much to do with Chrysler sales for April, but those are my thoughts on Chrysler. I would love it if ford and gm brought out an affordable rear wheel drive full sized sedan , but I don't see it happening.

[A Horse With No Name]

I can see why you would like that, seems entirely reasonable. While there is a lot of diversity in the automotive market, getting what you want often leaves you with few choices. For me, under 30 thou, good at autocross, fuel efficient, manual...means my choices are 500 Abarth, Civic SI, MX5, GTI, Focus/FiestaST, and the FRS/BRZ twins. Its sad when someone with strange tastes like mine has more choices than someone who wants a traditional RWD sedan.

[Drew Dowdell]

The 200 shows promise, though admittedly I haven't driven it yet.

Again, moving target. Look at that Malibu and impala. Impala is class leading, Malibu is so so. Chevrolet needs a much better car to compete with the fusion,chryco once again is wildly behind the curve.

The 200 is a confusing car. It feels more premium than others in its price class, but it is also much smaller. It is kind of like the Regal in that regard but with a lower base price.

[A Horse With No Name]

The 200 shows promise, though admittedly I haven't driven it yet.

Again, moving target. Look at that Malibu and impala. Impala is class leading, Malibu is so so. Chevrolet needs a much better car to compete with the fusion,chryco once again is wildly behind the curve.

The 200 is a confusing car. It feels more premium than others in its price class, but it is also much smaller. It is kind of like the Regal in that regard but with a lower base price.

I could see the 200 Appealing to certain buyers. I have a friend who has one and loves it. Still, given the choice of a 200 and many of its competitors, I do not see how the overall package deal is optimal for most buyers.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm referring to the just-introduced, all new, 2015 Chrysler 200. A much nicer package than the rehashed Sebring you are referring to.

[A Horse With No Name]

I'm referring to the just-introduced, all new, 2015 Chrysler 200. A much nicer package than the rehashed Sebring you are referring to.

I will have to check it out. I hope it's good, Chrysler needs another winner.