Fiat Chrysler Slips 1% In September In Spite Of Record Truck Sales

FCA US LLC today reported U.S. sales of 192,883 units, a 1 percent decrease compared with sales in September 2015 (194,666 units).
 
FCA US retail sales were 146,453 units in September, while fleet sales were 46,430 units. Retail sales represented 76 percent of total sales, while fleet sales were 24 percent.
 
The Ram Truck brand posted a 27 percent sales gain in September compared with the same month a year ago as pickup truck sales increased 29 percent year over year. Both the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger turned in double-digit percentage increases in September while the Jeep® Grand Cherokee – the most awarded SUV ever – posted an 18 percent sales gain.
 
Sales of the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan increased 23 percent in September, versus sales in the previous month of August. Sales of the all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider, the latest addition to the FIAT brand product lineup, were up 7 percent in September, compared with the previous month of August.
 
Ram Truck Brand
Ram Truck brand sales, which include the Ram pickup, Ram ProMaster and Ram ProMaster City, were up 27 percent in September versus the same month a year ago. The brand’s increase was driven by the strong 29 percent increase in Ram pickup truck sales. The Ram 1500 Rebel was named “Best Pickup Truck” at the 2016 Ruedas ESPN Awards at last month’s Miami International Auto Show. For 2017, Ram will introduce a new special-edition Night package for the 1500 model that gives truck enthusiasts straight-from-the-factory customized looks. In addition, Ram ProMaster sales are up 17 percent year over year. Ram Truck brand sales are up 11 percent calendar year to date, compared with the same nine months in 2015.
 
Jeep Brand
Jeep brand sales were down 3 percent in September compared with the same month a year ago. The Jeep Grand Cherokee – the vehicle that has long defined what a premium SUV should be – posted an 18 percent sales gain in September, compared with the same month in 2015. In addition, Jeep Patriot sales were up a strong 33 percent versus September a year ago. Jeep brand sales are up 12 percent calendar year to date, compared with the first three quarters of 2015.
 
Dodge Brand
Dodge brand sales were down 6 percent in September compared with the same month a year ago. But, the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger each posted year-over-year sales gains in September. Charger sales were up 35 percent, while the Challenger turned in a 19 percent sales gain in the month. In addition, the Dodge Journey crossover recorded a 6 percent year-over-year increase. Dodge brand sales are up 2 percent calendar year to date compared with the first nine months in 2015.
  
Chrysler Brand
Chrysler brand sales were down 27 percent in September versus the same month in 2015. The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan posted 9,172 units in sales in September, up 23 percent compared with the previous month of August. Launched in April this year, the Pacifica just earned a rating of Top Safety Pick+ for 2016 from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Pacifica achieved a “good” rating – the highest possible score – in each of five tests used by IIHS to evaluate crashworthiness. The Pacifica also earned the 2016 “Vehicle of the Year” and “Best Minivan” awards at the Ruedas ESPN Awards presented in September as part of the Miami International Auto Show.
 
FIAT Brand
FIAT brand sales, which include the Fiat 500, Fiat 500L, Fiat 500X and Fiat 124 Spider, were down 30 percent in September. In its third month on sale, the all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider logged 490 units in sales in September, up 7 percent versus the previous month of August. The Spider earned a “Best Convertible” award last month in the 2016 Ruedas ESPN Awards at the Miami International Auto Show.

MDarringer - 10/3/2016 7:30:26 PM

+1 Boost

The title accurately sums up what is true about FCA's future. Even if Jeep and Ram go gangbusters all their other brands are essentially in the shitter with old and / or lackluster products.

mini22 - 10/4/2016 2:20:21 PM

+2 Boost

I have a feeling that Fiat is going to be merged into Chrysler/Dodge in the US. I think you are going to see the elimination of stand alone Fiat franchises. My guess is that now that the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 are going away I think what you are going to see is the following:
I think temporarily Chrysler/Dodge dealerships will offer Fiat as a fill in for the loss of those vehicles to sell. But I think what you are going to see in the next couple of years is a re-badging of the Fiat 500, the 500X, the 500L, and the 124 Spider. It may go something like this. I think Dodge will probably get all of the models. So I think you will get the Dodge 500, 500X, 500L and Spider perhaps with different names. I'm guessing Fiat will create a 4dr 500 replacement for the current 500 city car. Perhaps Chrysler will get a version of the new Jeep Compass to fill in for the loss of the 200 sedan. So I think the Fiat name will be retired in the US but the same models will continue to sell. Most likely they will sell better without their former Fiat badges.

Vette71 - 10/4/2016 9:22:31 PM

+2 Boost

Even with a Dodge nameplate on them, the Fiats still wouldn't sell. Outside of the 124, the rest are really ugly. OK the 500 is cute, but Dodge's market positioning isn't "We make cut cars".

mini22 - 10/5/2016 12:32:40 AM

+2 Boost

The 500X is a good looking car as is the 500 city car. The only ugly duckling is the 500 L. These could be easily be rebadged as Dodges with some minor restyling. Even the 500L could be restyled with a better looking front end. Here is the fact. The Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade are virtually the same vehicle other than styling. The Jeep sells about 4 times as many vehicles per month as the Fiat. The main reason is simply that it is branded as a Jeep instead of a Fiat. Most people would not know the difference. My point is that these vehicles would probably sell much better if they were simply rebranded and priced at the low end of the Dodge lineup.