FCA US LLC today reported March 2018 sales of 216,063 vehicles, a 14 percent increase compared with sales in March 2017 of 190,254 vehicles.
The company reported retail sales of 162,304 vehicles, up 11 percent from March 2017. It was the best month of March retail sales since the company sold 170,545 vehicles in March 2001. Total sales were the highest since March 2006 when the company sold 216,865 vehicles. Fleet accounted for 25 percent of overall sales.
Jeep® Brand
Jeep brand total sales rose 45 percent in March to 98,382 vehicles for its best month ever. The Jeep Wrangler led the group as sales rose 70 percent to 27,829 vehicles. It was the best month of sales ever for the nameplate, eclipsing the May 2015 record of 22,615 vehicles. Jeep Cherokee sales increased 63 percent to 23,764 vehicles for its best March sales ever.
Ram Truck Brand
Ram Truck brand sales declined 13 percent to 44,878 vehicles compared with the previous year. However, retail sales of the Ram Light Duty pickup truck rose 8 percent to 26,050 vehicles. The new 2019 Ram 1500 pickup truck began shipping to dealers in the second half of the month. The truck is being produced at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan.
Chrysler Brand
Chrysler brand total sales rose 15 percent in March to 19,499 vehicles compared with the same month a year ago. The Chrysler Pacifica minivan posted a 40 percent sales increase while the Chrysler 300 rose 25 percent.
Dodge Brand
Dodge brand total sales declined 2 percent to 49,184. Sales of the Dodge Challenger rose 31 percent to 8,150 vehicles.
FIAT Brand
Sales of Fiat declined 47 percent to 1,544 vehicles.
Alfa Romeo Brand
Alfa Romeo brand sales of 2,576 vehicles were up significantly compared with the same month a year ago. Giulia led the brand with 1,284 sales followed by Stelvio at 1,270 vehicles.
Method of Determining FCA US LLC’s Monthly Sales. FCA US’s reported vehicle sales represent unit sales of vehicles to retail customers, deliveries of vehicles to fleet customers and to others such as FCA US’s employees and retirees as well as vehicles used for marketing. Most of these reported sales reflect retail sales made by dealers out of their own inventory of vehicles previously purchased by them from FCA US. Reported vehicle units sales do not correspond to FCA US’s reported revenues, which are based on FCA US’s sale and delivery of vehicles, and typically recognized upon shipment to the dealer or end customer. As announced on July 26, 2016, FCA US has modified its methodology for monthly sales reporting as follows:
- Sales to retail customers by dealers in the U.S. are derived from the New Vehicle Delivery Report (“NVDR”) system and are determined as the sum of (A) all sales recorded by dealers during the month net of all unwound transactions recorded to the end of that month (whether the original sale was recorded in the current month or any prior month); plus (B) all sales of vehicles during that month attributable to past unwinds that had previously been reversed in determining monthly sales (in the current or prior months).
- Fleet sales are recorded upon the shipment of the vehicle by FCA US to the customer or end user.
- Other retail sales are recorded either (A) when the sale is recorded in the NVDR system (for sales by dealers in Puerto Rico and limited sales made through distributors that submit NVDRs in the same manner as for sales by U.S. dealers) or (B) upon receipt of a similar delivery notification (for vehicles for which NVDRs are not entered such as vehicles for FCA employees).