AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -

Though the company still incurred a net loss in the second quarter, Chrysler’s top boss was upbeat about the automaker’s progress and where it may be headed.

When quarterly results were released Tuesday — which marked the first time Chrysler and Fiat have unveiled results together — not only was Chrysler’s progress highlighted, but officials shared what the automaker brings to the table for the newly consolidated Fiat-Chrysler Group.

Quarterly net revenues for Fiat-Chrysler Group came in at 13.2 billion euros, up 40.2 percent year-over-year, and trading profits totaled  525 million euros, up from 307 million the prior-year period. Chrysler’s contributions were included for the final month of that quarter, as its results were consolidated by Fiat starting June 1.

“Chrysler contributed strongly to the Group results with one-month revenues of 3.3 billion euros and trading profit of 150 million euros,” Fiat stated in its earnings release.

Offering more details on Chrysler’s overall second-quarter performance, its net loss came in at $370 million against a $172 million net loss a year ago.
However, the latter period includes the $551 million charge related to paying off U.S. Treasury and Canadian government loans, officials explained. Taking this out of the equation, the company achieved adjusted net income of $181 million.

Not only that, its worldwide vehicle sales for the quarter jumped 19 percent year-over-year to 486,000 units. Officials attributed the sales surge to stronger consumer awareness and consideration.

“There is no doubt that Chrysler Group has taken a huge step forward this quarter," said chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne. “Refinancing our debt and repaying our government loans six years early, reinforces our conviction that we are on the right path to rebuilding this company and restoring it to its rightful place on the global automotive landscape.

“We are changing both the image and substance of our company in order to regain the faith of consumers. There is no substitute for hard work, and we are committed to continuing to deliver on the business plan numbers we outlined,” Marchionne added.

Modified operating profit reached $507 million, compared to $183 million a year ago. Moreover, Chrysler achieved modified EBITDA of $1.3 billion, up 51 percent year-over-year.

Net revenues, meanwhile, jumped 30 percent year-over-year to $13.7 billion.