Jeep Brand Tows FCA to Record Feb. Sales

What do you do if you are Fiat Chrysler Automotive and some rough Winter weather threatens your February sales goals? Well, you turn to the most capable off-road and weather busting vehicles around to forge the path. The Jeep brand. Thanks to another monster month from Jeep, Fiat Chrysler (FCA) reported its best February sales gain since 2006. This despite disappointing sales from its Fiat and Chrysler auto divisions. FCA now has reported sales gains in 71 straight months, and with its Jeep brand's 75th anniversary well underway, appears well-suited to continue its assault on monthly sales records. "Continued strong consumer demand for our Jeep vehicles drove the Jeep brand to its best February sales ever, while our Ram pickup truck and Ram vans recorded their best February sales ever,” said Reid Bigland, Senior Vice President - Sales, FCA - North America. "Overall, FCA US realized its best February sales in 10 years and our 71st-consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases." FCA reported nine of its vehicles set records in February, including Jeep Cherokee, Wrangler, Patriot and Compass, Ram pickup, ProMaster and Ram ProMaster City vans, and the Dodge Journey and Challenger. Sales of the Jeep Grand Cherokee also increased by 12 percent which was the vehicle's best sales performance since 2005. Compass led the Jeep brand with a 54% leap in daily sales for the month. Sales of the Jeep Renegade, the brand's newest entry in its product lineup, were up 6 percent compared with January. Overall, Jeep brand sales rose 23 percent in February. While sales continued to be robust for its SUV divisions, Fiat Chrysler’s auto brands did get left in the cold a bit in February. The automaker’s Fiat brand continued to struggle, with sales falling 9 percent as new sales of the 500X compact crossover failed to impress. Chrysler sales dropped 26 percent for the month, largely based off its faltering 200 midsize sedan. February sales of the 200 fell 58 percent; not surprising after CEO Sergio Marchionne announced in January that the car would live out its product life and then be replaced by a vehicle built by someone else.