Chrysler's vehicle sales in Canada rose 53% in May

Chrysler Canada on June 1 celebrated a 53 percent sales increase over May 2009, with 20,887 units sold (May 2009: 13,657 units). Calendar year to date (CYTD), Chrysler Canada sales are 28 percent ahead of last year's level on the strength of a solid product offering and soaring confidence in the company. For the sixth consecutive month, retail sales increased more than 20 percent.

"After a while, things have a tendency to get old, but retail sales up over 20 percent for the last six months in a row isn't one of them," said Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler Canada. "Sales of our current vehicles are booming and orders for our all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee are quite strong – the additional manufacturing shift can't come soon enough."

Sales Highlights
Four Chrysler Canada vehicles recorded their best-ever May sales results – Dodge Journey, Ram pickup, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Challenger.

Sales of the Ram pickup were 26 percent over the May 2009 level, with 4,401 units sold (May 2009: 3,505). Ram sales exceeded the previous month-of-May record, set in 2007, by a solid 13 percent.

Canada's No. 1 selling crossover, the Dodge Journey, posted sales of 1,903 units, an increase of 56 percent over the same month last year.

Minivan sales continued to skyrocket, nearly doubling last year's pace with 5,773 vehicles sold (May 2009: 2,993 units). The Dodge Grand Caravan is the No. 2-selling vehicle in the country and the company's highest-selling model.

Jeep Brand vehicles posted a sales increase of 74 percent over May 2009. Jeep Wrangler sales grew 94 percent on 1,566 units sold. The fuel-efficient Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot saw sales increases of 59 and 141 percent, respectively.

Sales of Chrysler Canada cars grew 57 percent, led by the fuel-sipping Dodge Caliber. The Caliber recorded sales of 1,741 units, up 188 percent compared with the same month last year. The Brampton-built Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger also had an extremely strong month, with combined sales of 1,404 units, an increase of 41 percent over last year.