FCA Denies Rumors That It Is Removing Chrysler from the Japanese Market
Only one Chrysler vehicle is sold in Japan: the Chrysler 300
Last year, FCA sold less than 300 Chrysler vehicles in Japan. Therefore, when rumors emerged that the automaker was ready to remove Chrysler from the Japanese market, it wasn’t all that shocking.
However, FCA is ready to put said rumors to rest, as it has just confirmed that it is keeping Chrysler in Japan, at least for the time being.
“Although FCA Japan has already announced its intention to concentrate its resources on the Jeep brand ahead, no decisions have been made regarding [the] Chrysler brand,” FCA announced in an official statement.
Indeed, while Chrysler sales have suffered, Jeep and Fiat sales are on the rise. 9,400 Jeep vehicle were sold in Japan last year, while 6,700 Fiat models were purchased. Other FCA brands sold in Japan include Alfa Romeo and Abarth.
Fiat and Jeep are two of the top ten foreign brands in the Japanese market in terms of sales. With the large number of domestic Japanese automakers, foreign brands only make up roughly 10% of new vehicle sales in Japan.
Japanese sales of Chrysler vehicles have been on a steady decline since 2000. In fact, sales have shrunk to 10% of what they were 10 years ago.
FCA currently only sells one Chrysler model in Japan: the Chrysler 300 luxury sedan. Chrysler 300 models will be sold at Jeep dealerships for as long as Chrysler remains an active brand in the Japanese market.
News Source: Automotive News
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