Chrysler Jeep & Dodge Middle East enjoys half-year sales boost

Chrysler International - Regional Center Middle East, in the last year, introduced a young range of cars, focusing the network on retail and local business sales and constructing a stronger dealer network. All these changes have merged to provide the basis for strong growth in 2008 and beyond.

The Middle East saw CJD (Chrysler, Jeep & Dodge) cumulative sales jump by 31% in the first six months over the same period in 2007.

Vice President Trent Barcroft explained:

"We reviewed our operation, our sales and marketing strategy and re-evaluated our dealer network and we are now reaping the results. What is important about the half-year now is that not only have we achieved the objectives we set but we have boosted our retail market share and that drives dealer profitability."

The biggest drivers for Jeep were the Grand Cherokee (up 60%) and the Wrangler (up 32%), while the new Cherokee - launched earlier this year - continues its march up the sales charts.

The tough Nitro and Durango models have performed extremely well. The Nitro has seen sales climb by a phenomenal 554% YTD, with the Durango up by 30%.

"Our dealers in the Middle East and Levant region are achieving good conversion rates with customers and it is clear that those people in the market are looking for the quality and reassurance that our products give. The work we have done to bring stability to our market offering is helping our dealers improve their profitability. No one is saying the rest of this year will be easy - it will be tough - but with good quality products and discipline I believe CJD's success will continue," Barcroft commented.

Sales in Saudi Arabia were the highest with the UAE next, followed by Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. Yemen sales rose by 124% in the first six months of this year. The Levant countries also showed good growth with Lebanon showing a 51% increase in sales and Jordan also performing exceeding well.

Barcroft concluded: "Despite the downturn in the automotive industry worldwide, the Regional Center Middle East continues to push forward. We are on course to meet our targets for the year with all our three brands - Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge - and show we are on track and properly centered on profitable retail sales. We have got to the half way point and our strategy is working. We will continue to support our dealer network with the best practices and quality products, while continuing to offer strong, consistent customer incentive programmes that do not detract from the quality of our products or damage their values down the line. And we shall continue to press the factories to further improve quality and contain prices. I believe that will help us achieve our goal for the year and further build on the CJD brands strongly amongst independently-minded retail and business customers who are fed up of being enticed by deals that promise a lot but don't deliver."