Jeep And Nissan Had A Really Great August

We mentioned in the Morning Shift that incentives and discounts were strong this month, giving the Chrysler Group had the best August sales since 2002, with an increase of 20%. Nissan sales were up 12%, but not all brands had a hot summer.

According to GoodCarBadCar.net, Chrysler's primary boost came from its Jeep brand that sold almost 70,000 units in August, an increase of almost 49% compared to last year.

The introduction of the all new and much improved 2015 Chrysler 200 gave the automaker an increase of 6%. Ram pickup sales posted a 38.7% gain. But not all brands under FCA experienced growth; Dodge fell 6% and Fiat had a decrease of almost 20%.

While Nissan Motor Company had a strong month, it was entirely due to mainstream Nissan sales which grew 15%. Vehicles like the Altima and Rogue are incredibly popular among car-buyers. However, Nissan's luxury division Infiniti struggles to find customers; sales declined almost 23%. Disappointing new models like the Q50 combined with a confusing naming scheme, keeps the brand lagging behind its German rivals.

Toyota reported a modest boost of 6% while Volkswagen continues to flounder in the U.S. market; it posted an almost 13% decrease for August. Ford and GM sales overall remained stagnant or had minimal percentage losses.

My Take – Jeep's dominance makes sense. I have had numerous people ask me to assist them with Wrangler or Grand Cherokee purchase. Personally I find Nissan too boring to recommend, and most customers I speak perceive them as "below" Honda and Toyota, but there are good deals to be had on Nissan products.

Do you think Volkswagen and Infinti will ever make a comeback?