While competitors are down, Chrysler is up

Chrysler defied the industry trend with a 7% increase in new vehicle sales in August from a year earlier when Cash for Clunkers inflated most of its competitors’ sales. Once again, the Jeep brand led the way with a 17% year-over-year jump, helped by a 57% sales improvement for the Patriot and 56% increase for the Liberty.

But Chrysler’s year-over-year comparison benefited from the fact that it did not capitalize on last summer’s Cash for Clunker incentives because it had very little inventory of its smaller models.

“We will continue to build in this momentum as we begin production on a stream of new product through the end of this year," said Fred Diaz, Chrysler lead executive for U.S. sales.

August represented the first full month that the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was on sale. Chrysler sold 6,393 of the midsize SUV, down 17% from the sale of its preceding model a year earlier.