By Bernie Woodall
DETROIT (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (MI:FCHA) (N:FCAU) reported its 70th straight month of year-on-year monthly sales gains in the United States on Tuesday, with January sales up 7 percent.
Fiat Chrysler's Jeep SUV brand showed sales up 15 percent, and sales for the Ram pickup truck brand rose 5 percent.
The two brands appear to be the key to the company's future in North America after Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne announced last week that Fiat Chrysler would stop production of two sedans, the compact Dodge Dart and the midsize Chrysler 200.
The Jeep models gaining the most were the Compass and the Patriot. They are taking a larger share of production at the company's plant in Illinois, where the Dart is also made.
Dart sales fell 42 percent in the month.
U.S. auto sales are expected to decline between 0.5 percent and 5 percent from January 2015, due in part to two fewer selling days this year and a major East Coast snowstorm that kept many consumers away from dealer showrooms.
A poll of 27 economists by Thomson Reuters showed expectations of a seasonally adjusted annualised rate for January at 17.4 million vehicles.
The industry is coming off a record 2015, when U.S. auto sales hit 17.39 million vehicles, according to WardsAuto, which provides data used by the U.S. government for economic analysis.
Low gasoline prices, easy credit and moderate economic growth boosted the industry, which is expected to set another record in 2016, most analysts have said.