Chrysler Puerto Rico closes ‘historic’ year with 9K units sold
When broken down, the company reported 6,616 Jeep units sold last year, up 8 percent versus 2011, with the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee (in the photo) leading the pace.
Chrysler Puerto Rico sold 9,029 units in the island last year, building upon last year’s results for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands, company executives said Monday.
While the Jeep brand secured its place among island drivers, Fiat reported a 78 percent growth in sales versus 2011, with 714 vehicles sold in 2012. Last month, the automaker sold 1,320 cars, making it the best month for Chrysler since 1999 and the second best month in its sales history, executives further noted.
Ricardo García, general manager of the Chrysler Puerto Rico attributed the success to the “quality of product and great sales team through the network of nine Chrysler dealerships.”
Sales for the month of December and the achievements of the previous months positioned the island in the fifth position in the corporation’s international markets, he added.
When broken down, the company reported 6,616 Jeep units sold last year, up 8 percent versus 2011, with the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee leading the pace. Globally, Jeep sales reached a new record, with 701,626 cars sold, for an increase of 19 percent. The Puerto Rico market was one of 20 territories that managed to break the sales record for the brand worldwide, company officials said.
Meanwhile, the Chrysler brand also showed improvement, with a 19.2 percent year-over-year growth since 2011, which company officials attributed to the redesigned 300 and 200 models. The Dodge brand also expanded its market footprint by 19.7 percent, with Dodge Journey reflecting the best performance with 412 units sold last year.
On the other hand, 484 units of Chrysler’s workhorse, the powerful RAM, rolled off the lots in 2012. The company is revving up to unveil its newly redesigned RAM during the first quarter of this year, which promises greater fuel efficiency and a new 8-speed transmission.
As for the sporty Fiat, Chrysler de Puerto Rico reported sales of 714 units, representing 78 percent increase over 2011. Currently, the brand has the Fiat 500 model, with the Fiat 500L expected to reach the local market during the second quarter of this year. This new four-door model will have room for five passengers and will be available at the company’s Fiat Studios in San Juan, Ponce and Mayagüez.
The impact costs of car use in Puerto Rico need to be recovered from users. See “Puerto Rico: The Economic Recovery Manual” (2013)
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