Breaking! Chrysler Group Gets Aggressive On Incentives Sales Gains, Up One Whole Percent In December
The 'merican side of the German-American hybrid continues to steam past silly numbers of things like dealer inventory sitting at 538,438 units ( a 74-day supply) and terms like Eberhardt-ian "sales banks." That's because hey, the Chrysler Group saw a second month of sales increases, this time a 1% year-to-year December bump. True, that still means they've seen a 39% drop in sales of Grand Cherokees, a 7% drop in Jeep Commander sales, and a 39% drop in Jeep Liberty sales (people just don't know what they're missing). But Dodge's Ram pickup's seen a 10% jump skyward in sales and let's not forget that 46% jump overall in car sales. Now, if only they didn't have to practically give away those pickups and SUV's and we'd really be talking about a company that could make some money. Full release after the jump.
Chrysler Group December 2006 U.S. Sales Rise 1 Percent, Carried by 10 New Product Introductions in 2006
* Jeep Wrangler sales rise 61 percent, a new December sales record
* Jeep Compass sales increase 36 percent; the highest sales total since introduction
* Dodge Ram Pickup sales increase 6 percent
* Dodge brand sales rise 5 percent on the strength of Nitro, Caliber and Charger sales
* Dodge Nitro powers to a 36 percent increase over November 2006 sales
Auburn Hills, Mich., Jan 3, 2007 -On the strength and momentum provided by the 10 product introductions in 2006, Chrysler Group reported that unadjusted sales in December 2006 rose 1 percent to 190,415 units (4 percent adjusted), compared to December 2005 sales of 189,449 units. For the entire year, Chrysler Group sales totaled 2,142,505 units, a decrease of 7 percent over 2005. All figures are reported as unadjusted.
"The 10 new products the company introduced in 2006 generated customer and media praise and laid the foundation for strong sales in 2007," said Steven Landry, Vice President, Sales and Field Operations – Chrysler Group. "We've got an aggressive retail sales plan for 2007 that is expected to drive showroom traffic and provide our dealers the best opportunity to sell vehicles."
The all-new, iconic Jeep Wrangler continues to solidify its segment dominance in the marketplace and deepen its loyalty with customers. Sales of the Jeep Wrangler rose 61 percent to 8,623 units in December. December 2005 sales totaled 5,363 units.
Sales of the all-new Jeep Compass rose 36 percent month-over-month, posting sales of 5,066 units in December 2006. November 2006 sales were 3,723 units.
For the Dodge brand, the Dodge Ram pickup continues to lead the way for the brand, with sales rising 6 percent to 32,875 units. December 2005 year sales were 30,978 units. Sales for the Dodge brand totaled 88,489 units, an increase of 5 percent over December 2005 sales of 84,023 units.
Sales of the Dodge Nitro, the newest SUV for the Dodge brand, and the first mid-sized SUV continues to gain momentum, totaling 7,491 units in December 2006, or an increase of 36 percent over November 2006 sales of 5,489 units.
Sales of the first SUV for the Chrysler brand, the all-new Chrysler Aspen, totaled 3,033 units, an increase of 28 percent over November 2006 sales of 2,365 units. Sales of the Chrysler Aspen continue to exceed expectations as the vehicle continues arriving at dealerships and customers respond to its unique looks and features.
Chrysler Group finished the month with 538,438 units of dealer inventory, or a 74-day supply. That figure is 58,568 units and 11-days fewer than December 2005 and in-line with earlier guidance of projected year-end inventory levels.
On Thursday, January 4, 2007, Chrysler Group President and CEO, Tom LaSorda will host a teleconference to deliver worldwide sales results for the Chrysler Group and its global growth initiatives. Details about the teleconference are available on the Chrysler Group media web site.
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