Jeep Aims for Record Sales in 2013

Chrysler Group LLC's Jeep unit hopes its sales this year will surpass the global sales record of 701,600 vehicles it set in 2012.

But Jeep chief Mike Manley tells reporters that reaching that goal will depend on strong demand for the Cherokee midsize SUV that is expected to debut in the third quarter. Manley predicts the brand's volume will be flat to lower in the first six months of 2013.

This year Jeep also is launching a new generation of the Grand Cherokee midsize SUV and Compass and Patriot crossover vehicles.

Chrysler blames factory retooling for those new models for the 17% drop in the make's U.S. sales to 31,200 units in February.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne warned earlier this week that Jeep's model changeovers are denting Chrysler's revenue and profit in the current quarter, thus also hurting the Italian company's results.