Jeep Sales Strong; Muscle Cars, Aging Models Boost Dodge

The sales streak continues at FCA US, where the automaker posts its 67^th straight year-over-year monthly gain in October.

Volume totaled 194,293 light vehicles in the month, a 15.2% jump from like-2014’s 168,536. But one more sales day this year (28) vs. last left the comparison slightly less favorable on a daily-rate basis at 11.2%, WardsAuto data shows.

Utility vehicles emblazoned with the Jeep brand continue to supply most of the firepower for FCA, up 28.5% to 73,561 units for the month. Cherokee deliveries jumped 8.4%, Grand Cherokee demand rose 3.2% and the new Renegade added 7,795 units to the brand’s tally.

But it was the Jeep Patriot that garnered the largest increase of any FCA model, up 50.6% daily, while the Compass, Wrangler and Cherokee all recorded their best October results ever.

Dodge also posted a strong month, with volume of 46,612 up 8.3% on a daily basis. Rear-drive performance cars provided much of the muscle, with Charger up 20.0% and Challenger rising 26.0% daily, according to WardsAuto data.

The brand also got a boost from the long-in-the-tooth Journey CUV and Caravan minivan, where daily rates rose 32.4% and 16.8%, respectively. Fleet sales could be a factor here – FCA does not report its fleet mix – as well as deals for the aging models. The Caravan is set to be phased out in 2017, the same year the Journey is expected to make way for a new model.

Ram sales overall were static, up just 1.0% daily. Pickup sales were flat, gaining about 1,200 units, but Ram saw a boost on the van side, with healthy gains for the ProMaster and plus sales from the more recently launched ProMaster City.

Chrysler-brand sales slid 2.7% daily, with the critical 200 series falling 1.7%. Fiat sales were flat on a volume basis but down 2.7% daily, with the new 500X model offsetting some of the big declines in deliveries of the 500 and 500L models.

FCA says it ended October with 625,092 vehicles in inventory, equal to a 90-day supply.

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