Doubled-up Production Leads Jeep Wrangler to Another Sales Record

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

If you didn’t pop into a Fiat Chrysler dealer last month to pick up a Jeep Wrangler, congratulations, you’re now a nonconformist.

April was the best-ever U.S. sales month for the go-anywhere model, but the cause had more to do with availability than Americans suddenly discovering their rugged side. With old and new models rolling off of two Toledo assembly lines, buyers found themselves spoiled for choice. (The JK model ceased production on April 27th).

How well did the Wrangler do last month? The model accounted for almost as many sales as the entire Acura and Infiniti brands combined.

Some 29,776 Wranglers left U.S. dealer lots in April — a 58 percent year-over-year increase for the model. Following on the heels of another record sales month, April’s tally helped pushed Wrangler’s year-to-date volume up 42 percent.

The 12-year-old JK model continued in production for a period of about six months after FCA flipped the switch on its revamped 2018 JL models. The old JK’s line now undergoes retooling for the upcoming Wrangler pickup, tentatively named the Scrambler.

While the production overlap provided all the vehicles a dealer (or customer) could want, all things eventually come to an end. This isn’t a Ram 1500 situation. Once JK inventory dwindles, the JL will have to stand on its own. (The Toledo Blade reports that local dealers spent this spring selling JKs and JLs in roughly equal numbers.)

Still, the Wrangler’s riding high now, and Jeep’s happy about it. Increased sales of the Wrangler nameplate helped push the Jeep brand to a 20 percent year-over-year sales gain for April, with volume up 21 percent over the first four months of 2018. With the exception of Alfa Romeo, Jeep is the only FCA division with a positive year-to-date sales figure. A larger, all-around better Compass helped overall sales, as well.

It’s a similar story north of the border. Wrangler sales rose 54 percent, year over year, in April, with the model posting a 158 percent volume increase over the first four months of the year. Sales of Jeep-branded vehicles rose 30 percent over that same period.

Canadians suffering from near-record gas prices are no doubt eagerly awaiting the Wrangler JL’s available turbo 2.0-liter/eight-speed powertrain combo. Right now, dealers stock only 3.6-liter variants.

(Stay tuned for an industry-wide roundup of April 2018 sales figures. We’ll get that for you once all automakers report.)

[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Add Lightness Add Lightness on May 01, 2018

    When I se a picture of some new jeep, all I can think of is the Halibrandish wheels some of them have. Everything else is wannabee w/out painted steel floors, fold-down windscreen, zippered side curtains, Warn hubs etc.

  • John Horner John Horner on May 03, 2018

    Wait, you forgot the obligatory FCA bashing :).

  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
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