FCA sees 5.6% gain on small Jeeps, pickups, minivans

Continued strong demand for Jeeps and Ram pickups, as well as rebounding minivan volume, boosted FCA US sales 5.6 percent in April.

The automaker posted 199,631 sales in the U.S. in April, its 73rd consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and its best April sales since 2005.

Jeep deliveries rose 18 percent in April as demand for two of its smallest vehicles -- the Renegade and Compass -- more than doubled to post their highest ever monthly sales totals. In addition, the Wrangler posted record sales for the month. Sales of the Cherokee posted a monthly decline for the first time since the midsize SUV went on sale in October 2013.

Ram deliveries climbed 12 percent last month as sales of the Ram pickup and ProMaster and ProMaster City commercial vans all set records for the month of April.

Dodge sales fell 3 percent in April despite a more than doubling of Grand Caravan minivan volume over April 2015, when FCA idled an assembly plant to make modifications for the redesigned 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The only other Dodge vehicle to post an increase last month was the Durango, which was up 17 percent in April.

Chrysler brand sales were off 18 percent last month, despite an 82 percent increase in deliveries of the now-discontinued Town & Country minivan, an increase in demand for the 300 sedan and the introduction of the all-new Pacifica minivan. All of the sales losses came from a sharp decline in sales of the Chrysler 200 sedan, which posted a 60 percent fall off.

Fiat deliveries fell 19 percent last month as sales of the 500X crossover failed to cover a decline in volume for both the 500 minicar and 500L.

FCA US said it ended the month with 619,800 unsold vehicles in inventory, an 84-day supply.