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.