Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Tuesday that its U.S. auto
sales rose 4% in May, as continued strength in its Jeep brand
helped propel the auto maker to its best May sales in a decade.
The growth came despite one less selling day compared with last
May, which is expected to result in slight year-over-year declines
for most major manufacturers.
Still, the U.S. auto industry is on its way to delivering 17
million new vehicles this year—a level unseen since 2001.
An improving economy and Memorial Day deals are helping offset
the recent uptick in gasoline prices, auto analysts have said.
Meanwhile, prices continue to climb.
Automotive information provider Kelley Blue Book said
transaction prices of new light vehicles in May rose 4.3% from a
year earlier to $33,363.
Fiat Chrysler, whose consistent monthly sales increases have
been driven by sales of its Jeep and Ram brands, said it sold
202,227 units in May, up from 194,421 a year ago.
That was above the 195,975 vehicles units Edmunds.com had
forecast Fiat Chrysler would sell.
Jeep sales were up 13%, helped by higher Patriot and Cherokee
sales. The company said May was the brand's best sales month
ever.
Ram sales picked up 12%, led by the ProMaster Van, while
Chrysler sales grew 32%.
Overall, truck sales slipped 2% to 151,465 vehicles, while car
sales jumped 27% to 50,762 vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler projected total industry sales in the U.S. to be a
seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 17.9 million units, while
Edmunds.com forecast a rate of 17.4 million units.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com
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