Fiat Chrysler, Nissan U.S. July sales rise on SUV strength

FIAT (F.IT)Chrysler said sales rose 6 percent on the strength of Jeep SUVs. Nissan said U.S. sales rose 7.8 percent.

FCA and Nissan are the first major automakers to report U.S. July sales, which analysts have forecast would rise about 3 percent from a year ago. FCA forecast sales will come in above that estimate.

Car-buying website TrueCar Inc said a record $47 billion was spent in July on new-vehicle purchases, up 2.l percent from a year earlier.

FCA sales were led by a 23 percent increase for Jeep SUVs. Jeep Wrangler was the brand's biggest seller at 19,320, up 18 percent. The Jeep total was helped by sales of 6,320 compact Renegade SUVs, which was not on the market a year ago.

It was the 64th straight month that FCA sales increased on a year-over-year basis.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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