FCA’s Richard Palmer provided both good and bad news on FCA in Latin America. The bad news is that the industry was down as a whole, by 18%, in Latin America — and Fiat stronghold Brazil was down by 28%. Fiat’s sales were down by “more.”

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However, FCA continues to be the largest automaker in Brazil, with an 18.1% share; and the Jeep Renegade and the new Fiat Toro pickup, both made in Pernambuco, had a high 27% and 59% market share, respectively.

Around a quarter of FCA’s 102,000 sales in the region were from  the new Pernambuco plant, increasing profitability. The company expects better results in Latin America as the plant ramps up and launch expenses fade into the past.

As for the Jeep Compass, Brazilian production is still on track for the officially un-named “C-segment Jeep,” and Sergio Marchionne said that the first pilots are already being run in Mexico for a US launch in early 2017.