For March 2007, the sales of DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group division in the United States were down by 5 percent compared to the company's impressive sales result last March 2006. But in spite of this overall sales result, Some of Chrysler Group's brand and specific models obtained increased sales for the month of March 2007.
For the Dodge brand, the Nitro compact SUV posted the strongest month ever with total sales of 7,532 units. Other Dodge models also performed well in March 2007 including the all-new Dodge Avenger with 9,026 units sold; Dodge Caliber with sales of 8,634 units, a 32 percent increase; and Dodge Charger with 41 percent sales increase 12,707 units sold.
The Jeep brand gained an overall 4 percent sales increase in March 2007. Chrysler Group's off-road vehicle brand finished the month with 45,335 units sold. The Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited posted an impressive sales increase of 64 percent, selling 13,397 units in March 2007, making it as the best month ever in the history of Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot, both equipped also performed well with sales of 3,802 units and 2,109 units respectively.
According to Tom LaSorda, President and CEO of Chrysler Group:
"We continue to deliver on our promise to spend more time with our dealers, and make their profitability a priority. One important achievement in the month of March was that our vehicle inventory was down by more than 100,000 units compared to the previous year - in-line with the guidance we gave earlier."
Meanwhile, Chrysler Group is proud to announce that March 2007 is the best month ever for the company's sales operations outside North America. Chrysler Group brands, including Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler obtained 18 percent sales increase with 22,375 units sold.
"The efforts of our sales teams in all of our International regions contributed to this month's performance. We have said that our business outside North America has a key role in Chrysler Group's Recovery and Transformation Plan. These markets have solid teams in place to help grow our business, and with the right products tailored to meet the needs of global markets, there is a lot of potential to reach new customers." said Thomas Hausch, Executive Director of International Sales and Marketing.
"Chrysler Group's clear definition between brand offerings, improved quality and overall value are ensuring balanced sales among the top products. In 2007, we expect this to continue as we introduce eight new products, all of which are part of a balanced product portfolio and are designed to meet the needs of a specific group of customers, and complement, not compete with one another." he added.
Major markets for Chrysler Group models include Eastern Europe and Russia (with 69 percent sales increase) and Latin America (with sales increase of 43 percent in March 2007).
