Chrysler leads U.S. rivals in sales gains

DETROIT, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Major U.S. and foreign automakers posted sales gains with Chrysler reporting a 10 percent jump in December compared to December 2011.

Chrysler led the sales gain among U.S. auto companies for December. General Motors sales rose 4.9 percent from December 2011, while Ford Motor Co. sales climbed 1.9 percent from a year earlier.

USA Today reported Thursday that Volkswagen posted a sales gain of 35.4 percent in December with 44,005 vehicles sold. VW's sales surge was attributed to a strong performance by the Volkswagen Passat, which more than doubled from a year earlier and the Jetta, its most popular model in the United States.

Toyota and Hyundai also saw sales growth with Toyota sales up 9 percent in December and Hyundai up 17 percent.

Chrysler did well with strong sales of the new Dodge Dart. Five other Chrysler models, the Fiat 500, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Journey and Ram Cargo Van each set individual sales records in the month, the newspaper said.