FCA: 2019 volume slips despite record Ram haul

Sales by FCA US fell 0.2 percent to 197,143 vehicles in December, according to estimates from the Automotive News Data Center.

For the year, sales fell 1.4 percent to 2.2 million units, including a 2.3 percent decline in the fourth quarter, FCA said in a statement on Friday. FCA, along with General Motors and Ford Motor Co., only reports quarterly and annual U.S. sales results.

Ram was the only FCA brand with a sales gain in 2019 and in the last quarter, posting records in both periods. It delivered 190,655 vehicles in the quarter and 703,023 in a year when the brand bolstered its lineup by redesigning its heavy-duty pickups with more luxurious interiors.

The Jeep Wrangler had its best-ever fourth quarter with sales of 52,012. The Grand Cherokee notched a full-year record with 242,969 deliveries. The Gladiator midsize pickup, introduced last year, added 40,047 units to the Jeep tally in 2019, but the brand still dipped 5.1 percent on the year overall.

Dodge Charger sales rose 23 percent in the fourth quarter to 25,829 units, resulting in total sales for the year of 96,935, a 21 percent increase. The Durango, up 2.5 percent in 2019, was the only other Dodge nameplate with a sales gain in 2019.

Brands: December estimates: Jeep, down 7.2%; Ram, up 7.2%; Chrysler, up 12%; Dodge, down 1%; Fiat, down 52%; Alfa Romeo, down 1.9%.
Fourth quarter: Jeep, down 2.4%; Ram, up 5.5%; Chrysler, down 15%; Dodge, down 9%; Fiat, down 49%; Alfa Romeo, down 12%

For 2019: Jeep, down 5.1%; Ram, up 18%; Chrysler, down 23%; Dodge, down 7.9%; Fiat, down 41%; Alfa Romeo, down 23%

Notable nameplates: Fourth quarter: Jeep Wrangler, up 6%; Cherokee, down 30%; Grand Cherokee, down 0.6%; Ram pickups, up 6.9%; Chrysler 300, down 54%; Dodge Charger, up 23%; Durango, down 8.7%; Alfa Romeo Stelvio, down 13%; Giulia, down 10%

For 2019: Jeep Wrangler, down 5%; Grand Cherokee, up 8%; Ram pickups, up 18%; Dodge Charger, up 21%; Challenger, down 8.6%; Durango, up 2.5%

Incentives: $5,033 per vehicle in December, up 7.5% from a year earlier, ALG says

Average transaction price: $37,756, up 3.5% from a year earlier, according to ALG.

Quote: "We have read the expectations that sales may slow a bit in 2020,"Reid Bigland, FCA's head of U.S. sales, said in a statement. "However, we believe there is still plenty of demand in the market, and we are ready for a new year."

Did you know? Fleet accounted for 22.7 percent of the company's 2019 sales.

source https://www.autonews.com/sales/fca-2019-volume-slips-despite-record-ram-haul