Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA US) has released its quarterly sales report for the United States (U.S.), and the company is reporting three new sales records for the period. The Ram Heavy Duty lineup (Ram 2500 & 3500), which was one of those vehicles helped pushed third-quarter sales to its new record. The Jeep® Wrangler (JL) also achieved a new quarterly record.
Pickups weren’t the only things breaking records. In an industry focused on SUVs, crossovers, and trucks, the Dodge Challenger continued to show that the muscle car era is far from dead with a record third-quarter. Its stablemate the Dodge Charger also had its highest quarterly sales in 13 years.
FCA US LLC announced three sales records for the third quarter as a new generation of shoppers snapped up muscle cars and a strategy of premium technology and interior upgrades attracted new heavy-duty truck buyers. The Jeep® Wrangler notched a record quarter as well on the back of new limited-edition models.
For the quarter, overall sales were 565,034 vehicles for the three-month period covering July, August, and September. Retail sales accounted for 438,649 vehicles while fleet accounted for 22 percent of total sales. Fleet sales, on a year-to-date basis, accounted for 25 percent of overall sales.
“Lower interest rates, a stable economy, and consumer enthusiasm bolster our belief that new vehicle sales in the U.S. are heading for a strong finish,” Head of U.S. Sales Reid Bigland said. “For us, vehicles like the new Gladiator, our Ram pickups and Dodge muscle cars are pulling customers into showrooms. Our customers are also choosing to purchase higher trim levels or extra features, which are increasing our transaction prices.”
Jeep® Brand:
The Jeep® brand sold 245,474 units during the third quarter, a decrease of 16% over the same time frame last year. Leading the way for the brand was the legendary Grand Cherokee. Grand Cherokee sold 61,768 units, an increase of 8% over 2018’s third quarter. The iconic Wrangler was right behind with 59,035 units, a 3% increase. The Cherokee was the third best-selling vehicle with 59,035 units leaving dealer lots. The Jeep Compass was next with 35,158 units sold. Jeep Renegade sales were down 16% compared to the following year, with 21,234 units. The new Gladiator ended up selling 16,132 units during the period.
The Jeep brand also ended up selling 8 leftover 2017 Jeep Patriots still left in dealer’s inventories.
Chrysler Brand:
The Chrysler brand had 29,544 units leave dealerships during the third quarter. Most of those sales were of the award-winning Chrysler Pacifica, which sold 21,697 units, down 24% compared to 2018’s third quarter. Chrysler’s big sedan, the 300 Series had 7,836 units go home with new owners. The brand also sold some leftover inventory during the period as well with 10 Chrysler 200 Series and 1 Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
Dodge Brand:
With 104,146 units, the Dodge brand as a whole was down 4% over the same time period. Leading the way for the brand not surprisingly was the Dodge Grand Caravan, with 27,456 units sold. Not far behind was the four-door Dodge Charger, with 26,060 units sold, up 46% over the same time period last year. Following the Charger, was the Challenger with 18,031 units sold, up 21%. The aging Dodge Journey sold 16,965 units during the three month period. Following the Journey, was the three-row Durango with 15,631 units. Dealers managed to sell 3 leftover inventory Darts during the period.
Ram Brand:
The Ram brand had an excellent quarter, with 179,200 units sold. This put the brand up 15% over the same time last year. The biggest part of the success was because of the new Heavy Duty models joining the lineup. Ram Trucks accounted for 161,635 of the units sold. While the Ram ProMaster sold 14,589 units. The compact ProMaster City sold 2,976 units during the period.
Alfa Romeo Brand:
Alfa Romeo sold 4,310 units during the quarter, down 27% over the same time last year. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio with 2,244 units sold during the quarter. Following close behind was the Giulia sedan with 2,030 units sold. The mid-engined 4C sports car sold 36 units.
FIAT Brand:
The FIAT brand sold 2,360 units during the quarter, down 38% over 2018’s third-quarter. The recently discontinued 500 sold 876 units, down 40% over the same time last year. The second best-selling Fiat was the 124 Spider which made up 686 units sold. The recently refreshed 500X crossover made up 592 of the sold units during the quarter, this was down 41%. The lackluster 500L managed to sell 206 units during the quarter. This was a 37% drop in sales over the same time last year.
