Jeep on track for all-time record in 2011

More Grand Cherokees delivered in next six months than in best ever year

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After its strongest month since returning to Australia in 1995, Jeep is now poised to power on to a new all-time record.

With thousands of backorders to fill, Jeep predicts it will sell more Grand Cherokees in the next six months than it did in its previous full-year record for the model: 2219 sales in the year 2000.

It is so confident of the result, Jeep Australia has an internal target to deliver 1000 Grand Cherokees in a single month between now and Christmas – if it can get supply.

If successful, it will be a welcome return to form for the iconic American brand.

Yearly Grand Cherokee sales regularly eclipsed the 2000 mark in the late 1990s but sales began to dip from 2003 onwards and the model has never recovered. Until now.

VFACTS figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show Jeep sales are up 19 per cent in the first seven months of this year (to 4200 year-to-date).

All three Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands combined are expected to reach a record 12,000 sales by the end of the year.

The strong Australian dollar has helped drive recent sales growth of the North American brands.

“With the [favourable] currency, we were able to increase the content in the cars and lower the price,” said the boss of Chrysler Jeep Australia, Clyde Campbell.

For example, the starting price of the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee (which shares much of its core structure and underpinnings with the next generation Mercedes-Benz M Class) was slashed by almost $20,000 -- to $50,000 --when it was introduced in February this year.

“We can’t get enough cars,” said Campbell. “Chrysler-Jeep asked all countries to put in their forecasts for next year and it ended up being six-figures more than what all factories combined could produce.

“It’s a good problem to have but we’ve got to wait in line like everyone else [for our allocation].

“We don’t want to keep customers waiting, we’re doing our best to get more supply.”

Demand is likely to increase with the arrival of the new diesel engine option on Grand Cherokee this week, given that diesel power is increasingly the more popular choice among SUV buyers.

Meanwhile, the company predicts it will be able to maintain its competitive pricing for the foreseeable future.

“The financial analysts we talk to are telling us the Australian dollar will buy more than one US dollar for the next two to three years,” said Campbell.

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