New Jeep Wrangler Boosts FCA US Sales

FCA US sales rise 2.0% in April, giving the automaker a second-straight month of daily sales gains on the record strength of its redesigned Jeep Wrangler.

FCA delivered 183,159 light vehicles over 24 selling days last month, compared with 174,829 over 26 days in the same period last year, according to Wards Intelligence data. The monthly year-over-year sales gain is the second straight for the Italian-American automaker after previously reporting red numbers for 18 consecutive months.

The Jeep brand, as usual, delivered volume sales for FCA. The SUV-centric unit sold 82,641 trucks last month, an improvement of 30.0% from 68,879 last year.

The rough-and-tumble Jeep Wrangler, which began arriving at dealers earlier this year as an all-new product for the first time in more than a decade, drew a record 29,776 buyers, up 71.2% from 18,841 last year on a daily sales basis. The previous-generation model continues to sell in the market, reportedly at a 50-50 split with its redesigned brother.

Sales of the brand halo Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV tumbled 4.5% to 16,647 units from 18,777 in the same period year-ago, while demand for the smaller Cherokee CUV partially offset the dip rising 29.9% to 16,887 copies from 14,083. Sales of the little Compass CUV nearly tripled to 11,521 from 3,520.

Ram pickup sales fell 1.2% to 38,262 units from 41,974. Production of the all-new light-duty Ram pickup continues to ramp up at FCA’s Sterling Heights, MI, assembly plant, overlapping with continued sales of the previous-generation truck. The Ram is FCA’s best-selling vehicle, and its weakness in the month brought Ram brand deliveries down 0.8% to 42,084 trucks from 45,980 last year.

Sales at the Dodge brand grew 12.6% to 40,994 units from 39,445 year-ago, with the Caravan minivan and Journey CUV almost perfectly splitting combined volume of 23,518 units. The Viper sports car sold two units last month, likely bringing to an end sales reporting for the legendary nameplate.

Chrysler brand sales slipped 11.2% to 14,189 from 17,309. The Pacifica minivan stood tallest on volume of 10,180, up 5.8% on a daily sales basis from 10,427 year-ago thanks to fewer selling days in the month.

Alfa Romeo daily sales nearly doubled to 1,847 units on the strength of Giulia sedan deliveries of 1,123 copies. On a straight-volume basis, sales of the expanding Italian luxury brand grew nearly three times. Sales at its more mainstream cousin Fiat fell 40.1% to 1,404 from 2,539.

FCA retail sales fell 1.0% to 143,995 units, despite two fewer selling days and one less weekend compared with year ago. Fleet accounted for 22% of total sales, the automaker says.

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