Fiat Chrysler US sales up in July

Automaker Fiat Chrysler reported higher US auto sales in July behind strong sales in its Jeep brand and some sedan products.

July sales came in at 178,027 vehicles, up 6.2 percent from the year-ago period and about 2,100 above the level projected by online car site Edmunds.

FCA said several brands under the Jeep line scored strong sales, include its flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee, which notched a five percent rise.

FCA said sales were also strong for Chrysler 200, a midsized sedan. Sales in the Ram pickup truck line rose one percent.

The sales gain came as the Italian automaker was hit with a $90 million fine in July by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration due to lapses in vehicle recalls.

In another high-profile problem, FCA in late July issued a safety recall for 1.4 million US cars and trucks after hackers demonstrated that they could remotely control their systems while they are in operation.