Stellantis sales slide 6% in Q3

U.S. sales of the maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles dropped 6% in third quarter compared to 2021 as supply-chain snags and the semiconductor shortage continue to hold up production of new vehicles.

Stellantis NV sold 385,665 vehicles in the July-to-September quarter. It benefitted from the launch of the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid and news that the Dodge Charger and Challenger as well as the Chrysler 300 will be short-lived when production of the vehicles as they've been known finishes at the end of next year.

“Our dealers are making every effort to deliver upon each and every customer’s needs while we continue to deal with challenging industry supply constraints,” U.S. Head of Sales Jeff Kommor said in a statement.

Jeep sales dropped 18% year-over-year, though Wrangler sales rose 4%. The 4xe, which represented 28% of Wrangler sales, held onto its position as the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in the U.S., according to the company. Sales of its most popular vehicle, the Grand Cherokee, were down 53%.

Ram sales dropped 4%. Pickups were down 3%. Sales of the Ram ProMaster City small commercial van, which is being discontinued after 2022, rose 55%, marking its better quarter ever. Stellantis says its commercial sales rose 53% year-over-year, with Ram's commercial sales rising 69%.

Chrysler and Dodge, meanwhile, were highlights after production of their vehicles were hit the worst last year from the semiconductor shortage. Chrysler sales rose 39% compared to 2021's third quarter with the Pacifica minivan and 300 sedan up 46% and 17%, respectively. The brand also said it had hit sell-out reservations for the 2,200 special-edition sendoff 300Cs it will produce within 12 hours of it being announced ahead of the Detroit auto show. The Pacifica Hybrid represented 12% of the minivan's sales.

Meanwhile, Dodge sales rose 22%. The four-door Charger had a 25% increase, the Challenger coupe a 17% boost and Durango SUV sales rose 32%.

Fiat sales dropped 48%, and Alfa Romeo's were down 24%.

Across town, General Motors Co. reported sales rose 24% year-over-year in the third quarter, topping Toyota Motor Corp., which reported a 7.1% decrease. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Co. had a 3% increase in sales for the quarter, while Kia Corp. said it was its best third-quarter in the company's history in the country after record September sales.

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble