Chrysler U.S. sales rise 16 percent in November

Chrysler says its November U.S. sales rose a surprising 16 percent, a sign that the auto industry will beat strong numbers from a year ago.

The company sold just over 142,000 vehicles last month, up from nearly 123,000 a year ago.

Chrysler was led by the new Jeep Cherokee. The company sold more than 10,000 Cherokees in the small crossover SUV’s first full month on the market. The Cherokee helped the Jeep brand to a 30 percent sales increase, its best November ever.

Industry analysts expect a total U.S. sales gain of 3.6 percent to 6.3 percent for November. That’s slower growth than earlier in the year, mainly because of big sales last year. Superstorm Sandy hit in October, delaying East Coast sales until November.

All automakers report sales Tuesday.