Jeep - There’s only one.
It made for a great advertising slogan a few years back, but as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced its May 2016 US sales figures Wednesday, that tagline also showed just how valuable the brand remains.
Because, while every other FCA division of note reported negative May sales, Jeep numbers jumped 14 percent - pushing the automaker to its best May in 11 years.
The month certainly also proved to be a Jeep-dominated, er, thing as no other major automaker posted positive gains. Ford dropped nearly six percent, while GM tumbled 18 percent. VW, Audi, Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai and Nissan all also reported declines.
Overall, FCA May sales rose 1.1 percent, which extended the automaker’s streak of year-over-year monthly gains to 74. However, the increase was FCA’s smallest since it posted a 1.7 percent gain in August 2015.
“Notwithstanding a challenging calendar, we managed to muscle our way to our strongest May sales in over 10 years,” Reid Bigland, FCA's senior vice president of sales, said in a statement.
Many industry experts actually anticipated volume to drop almost one percent for FCA in May thanks, in part, from two fewer selling days. But the company reported extremely strong sales over the Memorial Day holiday to finish in the black.
The 14 percent May sales jump for Jeep was its best monthly sales ever and its 32nd-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The Jeep brand has now set a sales record in every month dating back to November 2013.
Both the Jeep Renegade and Patriot turned in their best monthly sales ever, while Grand Cherokee sales were up 4 percent for its best May since 2000.
One note of concern for FCA though was a sales dip in both Wrangler and Cherokee, with the vehicles falling 12 and two percent respectively.
Things also continued to track bleak for FCA in all segments of its automobile category as Chrysler (down 19 percent), Dodge (5 percent), and Fiat (down 19 percent) all performed weak.
About Quadratec:
Since 1990, Quadratec's mission has always been to deliver Expert Advice and Unbeatable Prices to enthusiasts of the legendary Jeep® CJ & Wrangler, Cherokee & Grand Cherokee vehicles. Quadratec's courteous factory-trained sales & customer service staff has the knowledge to make sure you, and your vehicle, get exactly what you need. Contact us at 800-745-2348 or www.quadratec.com.
