AUTOMOTIVE INSIGHT: Chrysler’s Passenger Car Sales Plummet
July 17th, 2008 at 3:00pm
Listen to this story:
There’s no secret that Chrysler had a bad sales month in June, and here’s why the numbers are worse than you think.
Chrysler lost more sales and market share last month than any other major automaker. That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise in that the company relies on truck sales more than anyone else, as that part of the market is suffering more than any other.
But the scary part of Chrysler’s June sales report is that even its four cylinder, front-wheel-drive cars saw a big drop-off. Sales of the Dodge Avenger and Caliber and Chrysler Sebring were down anywhere from 36 percent to 43 percent. Remember, these are the most fuel efficient cars the company sells.
Yes, inventory is tight on these kinds of cars, but other companies like Ford, Toyota, GM and Honda were able to increase sales of their smaller cars even with tight inventory. This is a dangerous development and one that those who follow Chrysler will want to keep a close eye on.