Aug 12 2010
Jeep paces Chrysler to fourth straight monthly gain
Buoyed by the Wrangler and the redesigned 2011 Grand Cherokee, Jeep brand sales rose 19 percent in July, pacing Chrysler Group to a 5 percent gain for the month.
It was the automaker’s fourth-straight monthly increase. In February, Chrysler ended a streak of 25 consecutive monthly sales declines.
Ram brand truck sales climbed 11 percent in July, while Dodge remained flat and the Chrysler brand dropped 11 percent from a year earlier. Three vehicles set sales records for the month: the Dodge Challenger, Journey and Ram Chassis Cab.
Overall, Chrysler Group’s car sales fell 2 percent, while truck sales were up 7 percent. Trucks continue to dominate the Chrysler mix, accounting for 75 percent of the automaker’s volume and outselling cars – 70,349 to 22,964.
Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel declined to say what percent of the 5,407 Grand Cherokees sold in July were outgoing 2010 models versus the 2011 version, which is just hitting showrooms in volumes. The company put a number of incentives on the departing model to make way for the redesigned edition.
Ram full-sized pickups remained the biggest seller at Chrysler, with 20,138 units in July. That was up 14 percent over July last year, when the automaker had just exited bankruptcy. The Jeep Wrangler was the second biggest seller at 10,043, up 121 percent. The Chrysler Town & Country rose 18 percent to finish third, at 8,083
