Toledo-made SUVs post drop as auto sales plunge

[rickaren]

Dodge Nitro, built on the same line and sharing many features with Liberty, posted a sales decrease of 34 percent, to 4,981 units, and the iconic Jeep Wrangler took the worst sales hit, a 36 percent drop to 8,589 units.

In the year-to-date sales comparisons, Liberty has fallen 5 percent to 23,047 units, Nitro is down 22 percent to 15,355 units, and Wrangler is down 31 percent to 21,814 units, the firm said.

Inventories for the Toledo-produced vehicles were 84 days' supply for Liberty, 97 days' for Wrangler, and 99 days' worth for Nitro, Mr. Henneman said.

Mr. Landry said Chrysler will expand its incentive offerings in April to lure customers into its dealer showrooms, including a new 6.9 percent credit offering for buyers with lower credit ratings. It will continue zero percent financing for most vehicles across the lineup.

Complete Article Link: toledoblade.com -- Toledo-made SUVs post drop as auto sales plunge

[rickaren]

We would feel bad for Chrysler if it didn’t disappoint so often. The 1-year-old Dodge Nitro has few excuses for its 34% slide, nor does the redesigned Jeep Liberty for hitting a 24% sales dip. You could say, “Hey, no one’s buying new SUVs these days.” But the similarly priced and thirsty Ford Edge is enjoying healthy sales. Edge sales were up 23.8%; it even outsold the Nitro and Liberty combined (13,508 versus 12,347).

LINK:KickingTires: Biggest Sales Losers in March