Chrysler Group LLC, an American subsidiary of Fiat SpA (PINK:FIATY) of Torino, Italy, reported Thursday that it sold 152,367 light passenger vehicles in the U.S. last month, marking its best December in five years.

The Auburn Hills, Mich.-based auto giant also said it moved 1.65 million units in 2012, a 21 percent rise compared with the previous year.

"Looking back on 2012, we were again one of the fastest growing automakers in the country with total sales up 21 percent,” said Reid Bigland, Chrysler’s head of U.S. sales. “We also recorded 33-consecutive months of year-over-year sales growth and our strongest annual sales in five years.”

December’s sales were bolstered by robust demand for Ram pickup trucks, which saw a 16 percent rise last month in sales of the company’s most popular model.

The Dodge group saw a 26 percent rise in sales in December, led by double digit growth for Dodge’s Caravan minivan, Journey 7-passenger family crossover, Challenger sports sedan and Avenger passenger sedan.

Sales in the Chrysler brand were up 6 percent in December, led by strong growth in sales of the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan. The Chrysler group of five models saw sales rise 39 percent in 2012, the best annual sales since 2008.

Shares in Fiat SpA (BIT:F) were trading up slightly in Milan to €3.91 ($5.16).

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