Chrysler's US Sales In January Surged 16%, Led By Ram Pickup Truck, Chrysler 200 And Dodge Avenger Sales

Chrysler Group LLC's U.S. sales surged 16 percent in January, providing initial confirmation of analyst expectations that 2013 will be a robust one for the recovering industry.

The Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company, a unit of Italy’s Fiat SpA, said sales of its Ram pickup jumped 14 percent last month compared with the same period a year earlier. Its midsize Chrysler 200 saw a 26 percent sales hike, while sales of the Dodge Avenger sedan popped 69 percent.

TrueCar.com, an auto analyst research firm, predicts retail sales for January to reach 877,533, while J.D. Power & Associates expects them to come in at 812,600 vehicles, representing a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 12.9 million units. That would compare to last January's 10.9 million vehicles.