Sales of limited-edition luxury cars were astonishingly good last year, but what about more everyday cars, the ones the average Joe can actually afford? Well, FCA USA (that now forms part of the Stellantis conglomerate) is reporting that its first-quarter sales for 2021 are 25 percent better than those of the same period in 2020, thanks in part to the remarkable success of the Jeep Wrangler, which posted its best-ever sales figures for the period. Promisingly, Alfa Romeo sales increased by the same rate year-on-year, but there was plenty more for FCA to get excited about.

The Chrysler brand saw its sales increase by 32 percent while retail sales of Dodge's muscle cars improved by 29 percent and Durango sales increased by an astonishing 61 percent. If you needed any more convincing that SUVs are the true moneymakers, this should lay any doubts to rest. Over at GM, Cadillac's Escalade was also a strong performer.

FCA says that its group sales reached 469,651 vehicles, with 19 percent of these vehicles being made up by fleet sales, which saw a commercial sales increase of 24 percent year-on-year. The Gladiator has performed well too, posting best-ever figures of 18,822 vehicles, an increase of 23 percent compared to the first quarter of 2020. March was also the Gladiator's best sales month since its launch.

The Ram brand also recorded its best first-quarter retail sales figures ever and its best March ever, seeing sales rise by 28 percent in the quarter. Meanwhile, embattled Alfa Romeo saw a gain of 25 percent in its sales figures, thanks to sales of the Stelvio SUV increasing by 34 percent and sales of the Giulia improving by 17 percent. These may sound like relatively low figures, but it's a second consecutive year in which Alfa has seen volume and market share growth. Over at Chrysler, sales in the first quarter jumped by 32 percent to 39,737 vehicles, thanks mostly to the Pacifica increasing its sales by a whopping 57 percent year-on-year. Let's hope that momentum continues.