March Car Sales Rise 34% for Chrysler

Chrysler Group LLC reported its March 2012 U.S. car sales increased 34 percent, the best monthly sales in four years for the No. 3 U.S. automaker.

Chrysler sold 163,381 vehicles in March, the company reported Tuesday, a 34 percent increase compared with March 2011 sales. The biggest growth in sales came from vehicles branded as Fiat, the Italian carmaker that owns Chrysler, which saw a 642 percent sales increase.

The Fiat brand sold 3,712 cars in March, carried by the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500 Cabrio, which the company has been heavily promoting since their introduction in 2011.

The Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram Truck marques all increased sales in March as well.

Chrysler brand sales were up 70 percent in March, driven by a 169 percent increase in sales of the Chrysler 300 sedan. Likewise, the Chrysler 200 sedan saw a 121 percent rise in sales. March marked the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains for the Chrysler brand.

Jeep brand sales rose 36 percent in March, making it the best month of sales for the brand in five years. The Jeep Liberty was the biggest factor with a 46 percent increase in sales, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee had its best month since 2006.

The Dodge brand saw the most modest increase in sales of the Chrysler brands, although it still posted 18 percent gains. Both the Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Journey set monthly sales records.

Ram Truck increased sales by 23 percent in March, the 23^rd consecutive month that the brand recorded a year-over-year rise in sales. Light trucks blazed the trail for the brand with a 25 percent increase in sales.

Chrysler's current-year sales to date are up 39 percent compared to 2011.