American firm building on recent fleet success

US carmaker Chrysler is hoping its new Dodge Journey will help to build on the company’s recent popularity with UK fleet operators.

The company says it has seen strong business interest in the 300C since it was launched in 2005 and more of its Grand Voyager models are bought by fleets than by private customers.

A spokesman for Chrysler is reported as saying the firm’s situation has changed over the past couple of years with the launch of more fleet relevant products than it has had before.

With the 300C the spokesman said the company has started to see a lot more interest from fleet and it has ramped up what it is doing within the fleet market.

The 300C kicked it all off. Having a car with better residual values and great stand-out looks that is quite European in many aspects is not what people expect from an American manufacturer.

He went on to say that the Journey is probably an even stronger fleet proposition as the mid-sized MPV segment is on the up.

Chrysler sells 46% of vehicles to fleet across its whole range, although two-thirds of Grand Voyager units sold are through fleet business and the firm expects Journey sales to be very similar.