[Allpar News System]

Despite Sergio Marchionne’s warning that Chrysler sales would fall, the company’s U.S. sales actually rose 5%, hitting the best monthly sales since December 2007, and the 36th consecutive month of year over year sales gains. Ram sales were particularly high, up 24%, with the pickup setting an all time sales record. Chrysler U.S. sales were 171,606 units for March 2013. Dodge, Ram, and Fiat each posted sales gains despite production gaps from to the end of Liberty production in 2012, and new product launches of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2014 Jeep Compass, and the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty trucks. Dodge Dart set an all-time sales record with its 5% month-over-month sales gain. Dart sales have increased in every month but one since the all-new model was launched in June last year. Dodge Avenger and Challenger each set all-time sales records in March. The Challenger recorded its best sales ever..

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[MoparNorm]

Another missed projection?
Dodge trucks are selling strong, in spite of the launch failure of the 2013 HD's.

 

[dreinecke]

I did my part!

 

[UN4GTBL]

^ Congrats! Looks great!

Congrats to Chrysler too

 

[MoparNorm]

I did my part!

Did you trade in the XJ?

 

[bumonbox]

Ram sales were particularly high, up 24%, with the pickup setting an all time sales record.

ROCK ON!!
Are these updates gaining traction?? Can they keep the momentum? Granted, March is usually a strong month anyways, but if they can keep it above 30k, that would bode very well for the Ram.

 

[chewie402]

Overall it's great...glad to hear this. But ouch...what caused 300 sales to bottom out like that?

 

[Erik Latranyi]

Way to go! Nice, steady growth.

 

[FreeLantz]

A new record for the Ram Pickup is no small achievement when you consider the numbers it consistently put up in the late 90's. It's even more encouraging when you consider the new HD's and the 2014 diesel half-ton are around the corner.

I have no idea where Jeep found so many Compasses to sell. They are non-existent here. And it's nice to see the Dart starting to take off. The low-cost Aero models seem to be hot.

 

[normtest]

Incentives on 300 have dropped, and the low-end model was dropped. Residuals have shot up but sales have fallen somewhat as a group of customers was eliminated. Charger sales should have taken up the slack but they have not, I suspect those customers have fallen down to 200.

A stripped-down 300 is not that much better as a car than a well-dressed 200, for most people. Yes, the 300 is a lot faster, but the 200 is a nice car and all the creature comforts help make up for a couple of seconds in 0-60 time -- which most people will never use. The 200 transmission is a bit more conventional and may feel better for some people, the brakes aren't as grabby, the throttle is more gradual. No, a 200 will never outperform a 300 -- not any more! -- but it's still a very nice car with very few drawbacks. So I can see a lot of customers going from “I’m getting this 300, but I can't really afford it, so I'll get the base model with the cloth seats and maybe I can stretch if the salesman lies about the payments," to “Hey, I can’t really afford the 300, but I can get a 200 with every option.”

 

[Powerflite]

If sales keep growing additional assembly plant capacity will be needed.

 

[bumonbox]

Incentives on 300 have dropped, and the low-end model was dropped. Residuals have shot up but sales have fallen somewhat as a group of customers was eliminated. Charger sales should have taken up the slack but they have not, I suspect those customers have fallen down to 200.

A stripped-down 300 is not that much better as a car than a well-dressed 200, for most people. Yes, the 300 is a lot faster, but the 200 is a nice car and all the creature comforts help make up for a couple of seconds in 0-60 time -- which most people will never use. The 200 transmission is a bit more conventional and may feel better for some people, the brakes aren't as grabby, the throttle is more gradual. No, a 200 will never outperform a 300 -- not any more! -- but it's still a very nice car with very few drawbacks. So I can see a lot of customers going from “I’m getting this 300, but I can't really afford it, so I'll get the base model with the cloth seats and maybe I can stretch if the salesman lies about the payments," to “Hey, I can’t really afford the 300, but I can get a 200 with every option.”

This would point to another reality. Just because the dealerships carry different brands, doesn't mean the customer wants to shop all of those brands. This has been figured into the minivan discussion, and I feel this is strong at work here. Someone walking into a Dealership to buy a chrysler, is quite likely to walk out with a Chrysler, just maybe not the one they initially intended. The same probably applies to Dodge. Dart buyers shifting to the Avenger on one end, and 300 buyers shifting to the 200.

The 300 is becoming extra premium it appears, I too noticed it is now starting at 30k. This would appear to be a good thing to me, as we've always talked about the brand going upmarket. But I suspect it is going to be a slow and steady process. The well loaded 300s are seriously nice cars, but brand perception is still shifting. In time, they may find that more buyers are willing to migrate to the 300, the upcoming refresh that will bring the 8 spd to the Hemi will probably benefit it a lot.
This of course leaves the thing about the 200. Undoubtedly superior to the 200, but will likely constitute a sales loss as I doubt it will be able to make up entirely for the lost sales of the Avenger. The 25 to 30k Just doesn't seem like something Chrysler is likely to achieve with the 200. The upside is it probably won't need much for incentives, will make more money, and will help the brand. It will help the 300 stay upmarket. But since they're doing all of that, it makes the decision to drop the Avenger to appear silly, again. No duplication is great and all, but if you are aiming to drop base models from a brand, and make it only nicer models, you will have a harder gaining acceptance when you are still forced to compete with entry level versions of other models in the same brand.

 

[Mike V.]

Another missed projection?
Dodge trucks are selling strong, in spite of the launch failure of the 2013 HD's.

Certainly not a bad projection to miss...

I did my part!

Nice!

 

[normtest]

The question will be how far up Chrysler can move when anchored by the need to keep 200 affordable for former Avenger buyers and former Plymouth buyers.

 

[SouthPawXJ]

The question will be how far up Chrysler can move when anchored by the need to keep 200 affordable for former Avenger buyers and former Plymouth buyers.

I know the Dart is marketed as a compact, but it classifies as a midsize vehicle according to the EPA. It is a small midsize car, but it could be the replacement for Avenger buyers. Chrysler doesn't necessarily have to keep the 200 downmarket... http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/dart/comparisons.html

 

[superduckie5000]

New Assembly Plant ? What the

Can You Say Fat Dumb & Happy! Then Say Nothing New In History ect., ect..

Read This --- Then Reread the Last Part Again and Again and Again!

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130401/OEM03/304019964/lots-of-choices-for-everyone#axzz2PJe5Rh9A

There will Be More Fun than You Can Imagine Just Making Enough Trannies & Engines for the Assy.
Plants that are Running 24 Hours a Day 6 Days a Week.

TMD

 

[hmk123]

The turnaround of the 200 is truly amazing. Nice to see it still going so strong!

 

[MoparDanno]

If I am reading that chart correctly, and I'd like to think that I am, the largest single selling nameplate last month ( Other than all of the Ram variants ) was the 200?

WOW

IMO Thats the news. What was once the whipping boy of the auto rag industry, is now the hottest selling car/suv in the US for Fiat-Chrysler. And thats with its KNOWN replacement coming next year!

Yes I know fleet sales, but I wonder how many are really going to fleets. I know Darts are in the rental fleets already, Ive been selling parts for them.

 

[unverferth]

With the reputed popularity of CUV's......what happened to the Journey ?
Very surprising.

 

[jclick]

Over 7K sales is a good month for Journey.