FCA Sales Decline Stays Steady in April as Jeep Sales Decrease 17%
While Chrysler sales managed to improve in April, Jeep sales only grew worse
The Jeep Compass and other underperforming models are hurting Jeep sales
At the end of the first quarter of 2017, FCA had sold 510,798 vehicles in the United States. Compared to the 558,137 vehicles sold during the first quarter of 2016, this accounted for an overall 8% decline in sales for the brand.
Unfortunately for FCA, this stagnant decline has stayed the course, as April sales were down 7%.
177,441 FCA vehicles were sold in the US last month. Compared to the 190,071 FCA vehicles sold in April of 2016, this accounts for the company’s 7% monthly sales decline.
Surprisingly enough, Chrysler celebrated a return to form last month. Thanks to strong sales from the Chrysler Pacifica, the brand only experienced a 3% sales decline, compared to the 33% sales decline it experienced in March.
The Pacifica is starting to pay off for Chrysler
Ram continued to turn a profit for FCA, as 47,327 Ram units were sold last month. Compared to Ram sales in April of 2016, this is a 5% sales increase, on par with the average sales increase for the brand so far this year.
However, while Ram stayed healthy and Chrysler grew healthier, the state of Jeep only grew worse in April. With only 68,879 Jeep vehicles sold last month, the brand experienced a 17% sales decline compared to a year ago.
While the rest of the brand suffers, the Jeep Grand Cherokee continues to be a popular choice
The 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee was the only model in the Jeep lineup to experience any sort of sales increase in April, selling 18,877 units compared to the 17,768 units sold last April. In fact, the Grand Cherokee has continually outperformed the Jeep Wrangler as the brand’s best-selling model.
Far less successful was the Jeep Compass. The Compass experienced a shattering 61% sales decrease last month, selling only 3,520 units compared to the 9,129 units it sold in April of 2016.
As a result of underperforming in April, year-to-date sales for the Jeep brand have gone from experiencing an 11% decline to a 13% decline. So far, 257,622 Jeep vehicles have been sold domestically this year, still making it FCA’s highest-selling brand but reaching nowhere near the 294,907 units sold this time last year.
Meanwhile, after experiencing a 10% sales increase in March, Dodge is back on the decline, with a slight 3% decrease in April sales. Nevertheless, the Dodge Journey continued its incredible sales growth, an increase of 72% in April.
The Dodge Journey continues its series of sales victories
With 691,527 units sold so far this year, FCA maintained its average 8% sales decline for 2017. You can examine the company’s April sales figures for yourself in the chart below.
FCA April 2017 Sales
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