The significant improvement in Chrysler Group sales last month was led out in the main part by the Jeep brand which saw all its off-road models posting double-digit gains, with the recently refreshed Compass compact SUV topping the pile with a year-on-year rise of 278 percent, nudging ahead of the new Grand Cherokee which was up 208 percent for the month. Also adding to the rosy picture was the Ram truck division which saw its combined sales up by 34 percent.

The scene last month was however fairly mixed at Dodge as a 17 percent rise was accounted for entirely by the new Durango, which added almost six thousand units, as increases and decreases amongst the rest of the range balanced out its performance. The recently facelifted Avenger and Charger, as well as the Caliber, lost ground year-on-year while the Journey and Caravan both improved their position.

The Fiat 500 added another 1,803 units during June to bring its tally for the year-to-date up to nearly five thousand delivered, as its shambolic roll-out starts to solidify and as the Mexican-built supermini gains a rash of awards and positive media reviews.

The Chrysler brand remains the only laggard in the Group, down 8 percent for the month year-on-year. The 200/Sebring continues to make ground as more than seven thousand sales equates to a year-on-year rise of more than eighty percent. The 200 series was in fact the best-seller across the Chrysler range as the Town & Country lost more than a third of its sales last month year-on-year mainly as a result of the brand's ambitious repositioning of the minivan in a class where pricing is sensitive. The 300 series was down by a quarter last month but this is being blamed on low supplies of the facelifted model.

Notably the facelifted 200/Sebring and Compass as well as the new 500 are all more fuel efficient vehicles. “Thanks to our alliance with Fiat, we now have 12 models that have EPA-rated highway fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon or higher, and four of those models get 30 mpg or more,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Dodge Brand and Head of U.S. Sales. “This business is all about product and consumers are rapidly discovering everything we now have. Each Chrysler Group brand is contributing to our success and driving our 46 percent retail sales growth.”

Eight of the 12 models are equipped with Chrysler Group’s newest engine, the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6, recognized by the editors of Ward’s AutoWorld magazine as one of the “Ten Best” for 2011. With its fuel economy, reduced emissions and enhanced power, the new Pentastar V-6 is expected to account for more than one-third of the engines in the Chrysler Group product line-up by 2014 and will substantially contribute to achieving an overall corporate fuel efficiency improvement of 25 percent.

First half 2011 Chrysler Group sales increased 21 percent versus the first half of 2010. Chrysler Group finished the month with a 68-day supply of inventory (314,065) units. U.S. industry sales figures for June are projected at an estimated 11.8 SAAR.

Jeep Brand

The Jeep brand continues to roll, posting a 74 percent sales increase in June, the brand’s best sales volume month since March 2008 and its 14th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. All five Jeep brand models posted a sales increase compared with the same month a year ago. The iconic Jeep Wrangler was the best-selling Jeep model in June with sales of 11,290 units, a 27 percent increase. The all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee posted a 208 percent sales increase in June versus the same month in 2010. The new Jeep Compass compact SUV, with a 278 percent sales increase, posted the largest year-over-year percentage sales gain of any Chrysler Group model.

Ram Truck Brand

The Ram Truck brand posted a 34 percent sales increase in June, the brand’s 14th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. Ram pickup truck sales were up 35 percent, compared with the same month in 2010. Both the Light Duty and Heavy Duty pickup trucks, along with the Chassis Cab, saw year-over-year sales gains. In last month’s J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), five Chrysler Group vehicles ranked third or better in their segments for initial quality, including the Dakota pickup truck in the mid-size pickup segment. The Ram Truck brand launched its new national advertising campaign in June with the tagline – “Guts. Glory. Ram.” – focusing on the proven capability and superiority of the entire product line. The new advertising campaign encompasses broadcast, print, digital and customer relationship initiatives. The new tagline pays homage to the history of the Ram Truck brand and represents the hard work and dedication placed in the design, engineering and production of each and every Ram truck.

Dodge Brand

The Dodge brand, which offers six vehicles that deliver 25 mpg on the highway while retaining Dodge innovation and style, posted a 17 percent sales increase in June, compared with the same month in 2010. The all-new Dodge Durango three-row SUV had its best sales month since appearing in dealership showrooms in late 2010. Durango sales (5,827 units) increased 34 percent versus the previous month of May 2011. The Dodge Grand Caravan, the brand’s volume leader in June with 10,822 units sold, posted a 25 percent sales increase, while sales of the Dodge Challenger muscle car were up 10 percent in June compared with the same month a year ago. Sales of the Dodge Journey crossover were up 17 percent in June. In June, the Challenger ranked highest in the midsize sporty car segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study. Two other Dodge brand vehicles were highlighted by J.D. Power and Associates for ranking among the top three vehicles of their competitive class: Durango in the mid-size crossover/SUV category (tie) and Grand Caravan in the minivan category.

Chrysler Brand

Sales of the new 2011 Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan, star of the Chrysler brand’s 2011 Super Bowl commercial “Born of Fire,” increased 82 percent in June compared with sales a year ago by the model’s previous generation. The Chrysler brand’s Super Bowl commercial was honored in June with five awards at the Cannes Lions 58th International Festival of Creativity held in Cannes, France. Cannes Lions is the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communications where over 24,000 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged. In June, the Chrysler Town & Country ranked highest in initial quality in the minivan segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study. IQS measures new vehicle quality at 90 days of ownership. Sales of the Town & Country were up 3 percent compared with the previous month of May 2011. For 2011, every Chrysler brand vehicle refreshed.

Chrysler Group U.S. sales - June 2011