August 2014: Chrysler Group LLC

[William Maley]

Chrysler Group LLC Reports August 2014 U.S. Sales Increased 20 Percent; Best August Sales Since 2002  

• 53rd-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains
• Chrysler, Jeep® and Ram Truck brands each post sales gains in August compared with same month a year ago
• Jeep brand sales up 49 percent; best August sales ever
• Jeep Cherokee logs its best monthly sales since launch in October
• Ram pickup truck sales up 33 percent; best August sales since 2003
• Dodge Journey crossover records best ever monthly sales
• Sales of the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 up 39 percent compared with sales in previous month of July; sales momentum continues to build 

September 3, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 198,379 units, a 20 percent increase compared with sales in August 2013 (165,552 units), and the group’s best August sales since 2002.

The Chrysler, Jeep®, and Ram Truck brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in August compared with the same month a year ago. The Jeep brand’s 49 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand during August and its best ever sales in the month of August. Chrysler Group extended its streak of year-over-year sales gains to 53-consecutive months.
 
“Chrysler Group sales soared 20 percent last month resulting in our strongest August sales in 12 years” said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales. “Our Jeep brand continued its torrid sales pace recording its best August sales ever and our Ram Truck brand contributed with a massive 39 percent sales increase, both helping Chrysler Group achieve its 53rd-consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth”
 
Seven Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in August, including best monthly sales ever by the Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Patriot and Dodge Journey. This was the Journey’s seventh-consecutive sales record this year. The Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Dart, Chrysler Town & Country, and Ram Cargo Van each recorded their best ever sales in the month of August. The Jeep and Ram Truck brands logged the largest percentage sales gains of any Chrysler Group brands during the month. Sales of the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan were up 39 percent in August compared with the previous month of July.
 
Chrysler Group finished the month of August with a 64 days supply of inventory (471,930 units). U.S. industry sales figures for August are internally projected at an estimated 17.4 million units Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR).

Jeep® Brand
Jeep brand sales were up 49 percent, the brand’s best ever sales in the month of August and the second best sales month so far this year. The brand’s 49 percent increase was the largest percentage sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand for the month. The Jeep brand has set a sales record in each month this year, including the all-time sales record in May. The all-new Jeep Cherokee and the Jeep Patriot each turned in their best monthly sales ever. The Patriot’s 27 percent sales gain was the largest percentage year-over-year sales increase of any Jeep brand model in August. The Jeep Wrangler logged its best ever sales for the month of August. Wrangler sales of 17,988 units were second only to the model’s all-time record set in May of this year. Grand Cherokee sales were up 1 percent for its best August sales since 2003.
 
Ram Truck Brand
The Ram pickup truck logged its best August sales since 2003. Sales of the Ram pickup were up 33 percent in August, its 52nd-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. Ram Light Duty sales increased 31 percent in August while Ram Heavy Duty pickups were up 39 percent. Ram Truck brand sales, which include the Ram ProMaster van and Ram Cargo Van, were up 39 percent in August, the brand’s best August sales since 2005. It also was the brand’s best sales month so far this year. Sales of the new ProMaster van were up 36 percent compared with the previous month of July. It was the ProMaster van’s second best sales month since it was launched in October last year.
 
Production of Ram Heavy Duty trucks began August. The 2015 Ram Heavy Duty trucks own all three relevant titles in the segment: best-in-class power, towing capacity, and payload capacity, while delivering an impressive level of comfort and features unavailable elsewhere in the market.
 
Chrysler Brand
Chrysler brand sales were up 4 percent, the brand’s best August sales since 2007, driven by Chrysler 200 and Chrysler Town & Country sales.  Sales of the Chrysler 200 (including the 2014 and 2015 models) were up 7 percent compared with the same month a year ago.
 
Sales momentum of the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 continued to build in August. Sales of the new 200 were up 39 percent compared with the previous month of July. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) last month named the new 200 a Top Safety Pick +, its highest rating, when equipped with front crash prevention. The 200 is loaded with a comprehensive array of 60 active and passive safety and security features including driver-warning/assist systems and state-of-the-art occupant restraints. Sales of the Town & Country minivan were up 11 percent in August, the minivan’s best ever August sales.
  
Dodge Brand
Both the Dodge Journey and Dodge Dart set sales records last month. Journey sales were up 3 percent, the mid-size crossover’s best monthly sales ever. The Journey has been on a roll having set a sales record in each of the past seven months. Dodge Dart sales increased 22 percent, the compact car’s best ever sales in the month of August. The Dart’s increase was the largest percentage sales gain of any Dodge brand model in the month. The Dart has set a sales record in each of the past four months, including its best sales month ever in May. Sales of the Dodge Charger were up 10 percent, its best August sales in eight years. Dodge brand sales were down 6 percent in August compared with the same month a year ago.
 
Dodge is upping its high-performance game again with the unveiling of the new 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in August. The new Charger SRT Hellcat will feature the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8 engine that produces 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque – making it the quickest, fastest, most powerful production sedan in the world, as well as the most capable and technologically advanced four-door muscle car in America.
 
FIAT Brand
Sales of the Fiat 500 were up 12 percent in August compared with the same month a year ago. It was the 500’s best August sales since 2012. FIAT brand sales were down 20 percent, due to a Fiat 500L recall affecting an estimated 29,500 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. The vehicles will have their knee air bags replaced. This work will begin imminently.

 

[G. David Felt]

Seems that they are doing some good things. Amazing the sales level of the Cherokee. Awesome. I hope with the end of Durango that Jeep picks up a 7 passenger SUV to keep the sales or grow them.

 

I wish GM would be better focused in some ways of not having duplicate products on sister lots.

[regfootball]

I give Chrysler props for selling the $h! out of a lineup of lemons.

 

The new Jeep products and the 200 are coming on line and finally the Dart has room in the showroom with dirt cheap Avengers going away.

 

Let me give you an example.  You can buy a new Dodge Journey FWD six cylinder for not much more than 20g best priced these days.  Think about that for a bit, especially compared to an Edge, Escape, Equinox, Terrain, etc.  And that's with an 8.4 inch touchscreen.  Chrysler is whoring out the old models.  How in the hell can compass and patriROT continue to sell?

 

Look at the Ram pickup!

 

And it makes you wonder why GM can't achieve these sales gains.  

 

WTF is up with the 500L though......did they already pull it from the market or did really no one want it?  I would drive one for free as long as nobody saw me driving it.

[A Horse With No Name]

I am not sure I would want a 500l for free. Kudos to the Mopar boys for the sales gain!

[smk4565]

The old models like the Avenger, Journey and Patriot have to be almost all fleet sale or deep discount.  They might not even be turning a profit on those.  The big 3 of the Jeep lineup (Cherokee, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee) is doing well, but those have name equity.  The Jeep brand name is popular and trusted, and the Cherokee, Wrangler and Grand Cherokee names have weight to them.  People are familiar with those, compared to some of the alphabet soup names or something like a GMC Terrain that has been around only one generation.

[Robert Hall]

 

 

WTF is up with the 500L though......did they already pull it from the market or did really no one want it?  I would drive one for free as long as nobody saw me driving it.

Either the monthly numbers are reversed, or the recall had a stop sale aspect.  Notice the YTD numbers.

[2QuickZ's]

Overall the numbers are great but as others have stated, I'm sure a good bit of that is incentive and fleet driven on older models.  For me the telling vehicles are the new or recently refreshed ones.

 

Durango being down and Grand Cherokee being relatively flat are a little surprising for an otherwise great month but I guess there was one less selling day than last year.  Dart is better now that cheap Avengers are just about out of stock so that is expected.  Cherokee continues to sell quite well.  I keep waiting for the fall off but it hasn't happened.  Honestly, I think the brightest item for Chrysler is that 200 sales are up slightly and most of that has to be the 2015 model which I don't think is being fleeted much yet.

[Drew Dowdell]

Jeep still sells the snot out of the Patriot because it's the cheapest car with the Jeep logo on it right now.. and it actually is capable of some minor off-roading.

[ocnblu]

Yup, and I am sure the conventional automatic has improved the driving feel immensely over the droning, draining CVT.  That Cherokee has really caught on well.  The Ram pickup is packaged well, with a budget sport trim, and many other choices for trim packages, not to mention the EcoDiesel, a wild card that seems to have paid off.  I understand trucks with this engine are sitting on lots an average of 15 days before being snatched up.

[A Horse With No Name]

The ford ST twins and the Ram ecodiesels both have a 15 day turn rate on lots.