Chrysler Posts Strong August, Though Midsize Sales Stall

Chrysler deliveries climbed 7.3% last month from year-ago on a daily-rate basis, as it enjoyed its best August result since 2007.

The Auburn Hills, MI, auto maker sold 164,496 units for the month, WardsAuto data shows, though some key models slipped.

Deliveries of the popular Dodge Caravan minivan tumbled 26.2% daily from year-ago to 12,569 units. Chrysler’s volume midsize sedans, the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger, also did poorly, falling 18.5% and 23.2%, respectively, in August compared with like-2012.

The Fiat 500, which has been on an upward trajectory since 2010, suffered Chrysler Group’s second-largest sales drop of 30.9% on a daily basis. Only the Ram Cargo Van, down 34.3% to 578 units, saw a bigger decline.

However, other models maintained the pace for the resurgent auto maker, whose sales through the first eight months were up 9.6% from year-ago.

The Jeep brand delivered 46,239 vehicles in August, led by the Grand Cherokee, up 34.9% from prior-year to 17,976 units, and the Wrangler, up 14.8% to 15,825.

Jeep sales should see more growth in September, when deliveries of the long-awaited Cherokee midsize SUV and diesel-powered Grand Cherokee begin.

The Ram line of pickups and vans also heads into September joined by a new model, the Promaster large van, available with both gasoline and diesel powertrains.

For August, Ram sold 32,531 units, led by the 1500 pickup with 22,054 deliveries. Total Ram sales rose 7.4% from year-ago.

Dodge delivered 52,797 units in August, with some notable upticks. The 7-passenger Durango SUV continued to perform strongly, up 108.8% from year-ago to 6,246. Sales of the Dart sedan hit 6,901 last month, up nearly 1,000 units from July.

The Chrysler brand, due for a new 200 sedan in first-quarter 2014, delivered 28,678 units in August, led by the Town & Country minivan with 12,360.

Fiat’s new 500L sedan, which debuted in June with 541 sales and notched 969 units in July, rose to 1,214 in August. However, total Fiat-brand deliveries fell 2.6% from year-ago.

The SRT performance brand sold 61 Viper supercars in August, bringing the year’s total to 381 units.

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