Chrysler posts big loss on Fiat merger costs

DETROIT— Chrysler Group’s first-quarter sales jumped thanks to the new Jeep Cherokee and Ram pickup, but it lost money because of charges related to its merger with Italian automaker Fiat SpA.

Chrysler posted a loss of $690 million for the quarter. Without one-time costs of $1.2 billion, the company’s net income more than doubled to $486 million.

In January, Fiat paid $3.65 billion to acquire Chrysler’s remaining shares. The two companies are in the process of combining to form Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.