The managing director of Stellantis in Australia says he wants the Jeep brand to claim a top 10 sales spot in Australia within three years.
Asked at the local launch of the seven-seat Jeep Grand Cherokee L, whether the business had aspirations of being a top 10 player in this market, Stellantis Australia MD Kevin Flynn told CarsGuide it has its sights set on some lofty goals.
“Definitely. We need to be a significant player in the market. I don’t think I’m going to rest until we get by that four per cent share,” he said.
For the first time in its history Jeep became a top 10 brand in this country in September 2014, with the Grand Cherokee standing as the ninth best-selling model in May of the same year.
Annual registrations came in at 30,408 in 2014, however results have diminished since then, with the brand recording 7762 sales in 2021. But that’s up from less than 6000 in 2020, and year-to-date sales for 2022 are up a whopping 35 per cent.
That said, there’s no doubt Mr Flynn’s call is a bullish one, as a four per cent share in the context of the 2021 new vehicle market represents more than 40,000 registrations, and a seventh place finish, ahead of Nissan, VW, and MG.
But Mr Flynn said the groundwork is already in place for Jeep’s sales climb.
“We took a real honest look at ourselves just over two years ago. And we launched the whole plan to the dealer network in February 2020. We need to add to our model portfolio, and all those things are part of our plan,” he said.
“We made a big turnaround in terms of what we wanted to be, and what our dealers needed to be, and what our customers needed us to be.
“And I’ve got to say, they’ve stuck to their guns and we’re sticking to ours, and even in Covid we saw ourselves really turning what was a five year decline, and started climbing up.
“Then, of course, we moved out of Covid, and into semi-conductor challenges. So, I think when things start to ease you’re going to see our progress, and I can see us over the next two or three years making a far bigger impact on the market than we do today.”
In terms of upcoming product, Jeep revealed a sub-4.0-metre full-electric SUV concept in March this year, and Stellantis senior vice president, India and Asia Pacific region, sales, marketing, and regional operations, Billy Hayes told CarsGuide: “A fully zero-emission, freedom, off-roading Jeep will be available in production, very soon.”
Mr Hayes also reaffirmed Jeep’s commitment to EVs, adding: “I can tell you that by 2025 Jeep will have an electrified vehicle in every segment.”
The plug-in hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe (four-by-e) is early evidence of that ambition, the car due in Australian showrooms in the second half of 2022.
Time will tell how fast and how far Jeep can climb up the Australian sales charts.
Keyword: Jeep aiming for Top 10 by 2025!