Dodge Dart Sales Inch Upward; Ram 1500 Pulls Greatest Haul

Dodge Dart sales continue to rise steadily month to month, as the compact appears to be slowly finding its footing with buyers.

Chrysler delivered 7,154 of the sedans in January, WardsAuto data shows, up from 6,105 in December and marking a monthly record for the model that debuted last June.

Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne acknowledged there were missteps in the Dart’s launch and said during a quarterly earnings call this week the car wouldn’t blossom fully until model-year ’14. Other compact competitors typically sell more than three times the Dart’s monthly volume.

Overall, the Chrysler group delivered 117,076 vehicles in January, up 12.0% from like-2012 on a daily basis (25 selling days this year vs. 24 in like-2012). So far this year, Chrysler’s volume has risen 16.8% from the prior year.

Jeep brand sales in January slipped 8.2% from like-2012, as the brand phases out older product, particularly the midsize Liberty. Chrysler delivered 30,318 Jeeps last month, with the Grand Cherokee leading the charge with 11,065 units.

Chrysler’s best-selling vehicle was the redesigned Ram 1500 pickup with 19,819 deliveries, pushing the Ram marque to an 11.8% gain on prior-year.

The Chrysler brand, led by the 200 sedan, sold 20,696 vehicles last month, while Dodge dealers delivered 42,957. The Dodge Avenger, which is phasing out this year, posted the auto maker’s biggest jump, up 62.2% from year-ago.

Fiat added 2,503 deliveries to its tally, as the brand continues to chug along with consecutive monthly gains. This year brings the addition of the longer-wheelbase 500L to Fiat dealers.

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