New Durango drives Chrysler Mid East May sales up

To add to the good news, the Chrysler Group has topped a new manufacturing efficiency report for the second year in a row.

"In the first three months since the new Durango's introduction and despite production delays, the new Durango is selling at a monthly rate of 173 per cent compared to its predecessor," said Bruce D. Ohms, Sales and Marketing Director, Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge. Middle East. "This is an impressive result when one considers that the previous Durango sold the same number of units but over the first five months of 2003.'

Jeep sales were also up across the region recording a 52 per cent increase with the luxury Grand Cherokee up a massive 218 per cent.

Ohms is optomistic for the rest of the year now that production delays caused by global demand for the new Durango off-roader with the powerful 5.7 litre V8 Hemi engine are over. "Now that the supply delays for the new Durango are behind us and our Distributors have improved inventory levels, I expect the monthly sales rate to continue to rise dramatically," he said. "I am also looking for an increase in our sales figures with the introduction of the fabulous 300C, the new Chrysler luxury performance sedan, at the beginning of the third quarter."

Meanwhile there was further good news for the Chrysler Group with the release of the Harbour Report North America 2004. For the second year in a row, Chrysler Group was the most improved automaker in manufacturing efficiency in 2003 compared to 2002, with a 7.8 percent year-over-year gain in productivity. The company also set a new industry benchmark in transmission manufacturing, led by a 9.2 percent gain in efficiency, and had seven plants ranked in the report's top three most productive plants, compared by vehicle segment.

"Chrysler Group pulled off another impressive performance validating once again that they are implementing the right processes throughout the company to help achieve their efficiency objectives," said Consulting President Ron Harbour. "These improvements directly translate into better vehicle quality for customers and aggressive cost management throughout the entire organisation."

The results continue the company momentum, said Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group President and Chief Executive Officer. "In the midst of the most aggressive product launch in the company's history, significant improvements in quality, and now productivity, are paying off."