Chrysler Group Assigns 300 Designer to Truck Division

What about the South Koreans? Sales are way up, of course, mirroring a Hyundai and Kia overall new vehicle delivery increase of

South Korean light truck sales are way up, mirroring a Hyundai and Kia overall new vehicle delivery increase of 10 percent and 6 percent respectively. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

10 percent and 6 percent respectively, the former automaker's light truck sales are up 26 percent so far this year, mostly due to the critically acclaimed Tucson compact SUV, while Kia light truck sales are up 12 percent also due to the same reason, strong sales of its new Sportage compact SUV, a model which shares its basic architecture with the Tucson.

In case you were wondering, BMW light truck sales are up 15 percent so far this year, driven by steady X5 volume and more interest in the X3 compact model, Mercedes-Benz is up 18 percent in the segment, and that doesn't even factor in a new M-Class that is experiencing unprecedented growth in Europe as well, while Land Rover is seeing a 12 percent increase over last year, all due to its new LR3. Volkswagen's Touareg is actually one of the brand's bright lights, maintaining a rather flat year-to-date sales increase of 0.1 percent while the automaker's total U.S. sales are down by 16 percent.

The only Europeans to see falling

Chrysler Group is glaringly missing a compact SUV of any sort, instead relying on the PT Cruiser to attract crossover buyers. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

light truck sales are Volvo, with a slide of only 1 percent, and Porsche with a 23 percent decline in Cayenne sales.

So where does this leave Chrysler Group? While the Ford, Mercury and Lincoln brands outsell Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep in light truck volume, the former group is falling by 8 percent while the latter is on the increase, up 4 percent. But while its growth seems to be on the upswing, 4 percent pales in comparison to Asian rivals that are only just beginning to warm up to the segment. Chrysler Group is also glaringly missing a compact SUV of any sort, instead relying on the PT Cruiser to attract crossover buyers.