Updated 3:50 p.m. ET

Automakers have big sales expectations for 2012. And so far, it looks like they're going to match those predictions with no problem.

Judging by January's sales numbers, the industry appears poised to build on what turned out to be a very solid 2011. Most automakers saw sales gains from a year earlier, and this time, they didn't have to slash prices and offer other incentives to make those sales.

Chrysler continued an impressive streak of blowing sales out of the water. The automaker said U.S. sales rose 44% in January to 101,149 vehicles. It was Chrysler's best January sales in four years.

Ford (F) saw its sales rise 7.4%, and sales of the compact Ford Focus were up 60%. But General Motors' (GM) results fell 6% from a year ago.

Overall, the seasonally adjusted annual rate for light vehicles came in at 14.2 million, according to industry tracking firm Autodata. That's higher than the 13.6 million seen in December and the 12.7 million seen a year earlier. Total industry unit deliveries rose 11.4% from January 2011.

Analysts predicted industry sales would increase by 7% for January, kicking off what is expected to be a second straight year of strong results. The Big Three had a remarkable 2011, with sales up 26% for Chrysler, 14% for GM and 11% for Ford.

GM sales slumped in January because it didn't have the big discounts and flashy new models that fueled the prior period. GM cut back on the incentives, and that -- coupled with safety issues surrounding the Chevrolet Volt -- hurt sales.

But GM still surprised to the upside here, since analysts were expecting sales to fall nearly 9%. The following video notes how Ford is actually the disappointment, since its gain didn't quite meet analyst expectations.

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GM sold 167,962 vehicles, largely led by a 30% spike in sales of fuel-efficient small cars, including the new Chevrolet Sonic. But truck sales fell 6% and crossover sales were down 18%. Investors took the news in stride, however, and GM's share price rose by 1.5% Wednesday afternoon to $24.39.

Ford shares were down less than 1% Wednesday to $12.36.

Toyota (TM) continued its recovery from last year's devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, reporting a sales increase of 7.5% to 124,540 units. The Camry and Camry Hybrid led passenger sales, with a combined total of 28,295 units sold.

Toyota's ADR shares rose more than 2% Wednesday afternoon to $75.16.

Here's what the individual automakers reported for January:

GM
Total U.S. sales: 167,962
Change from a year ago: 6% drop
Of note: Retail deliveries declined 15%.

Ford
Total U.S. sales: 136,710
Change from a year ago: 7% gain
Of note: Blockbuster Focus sales made up 30% of overall sales growth.

Toyota
Total U.S. sales: 124,540
Change from a year ago: 8% gain
Of note: Toyota division sales rose 9% while Lexus division sales fell 5%.

Chrysler
Total U.S. sales: 101,149
Change from a year ago: 44% gain
Of note: January was the 22nd straight month of year-over-year sales gains.

Honda (HMC)
Total U.S. sales: 83,009
Change from a year ago: 9% gain
Of note: Honda CR-V sales rose 16% to 18,960.

Nissan
Total U.S. sales: 79,313
Change from a year ago: 10% gain
Of note: January deliveries of the all-electric Nissan Leaf totaled 676.

Hyundai
Total U.S. sales: 42,694
Change from a year ago: 15% gain
Of note: Sonata was the top-selling car, with nearly 15,000 units sold.

Kia
Total U.S. sales: 35,517
Change from a year ago: 28% gain
Of note: Record January sales.

Volkswagen (VLKAY)
Total U.S. sales: 27,209
Change from a year ago: 48% gain
Of note: The Jetta sedan is still on top, with 9,564 sold.

Related reading:

• Chrysler defies the naysayers

• A remarkable 2011 for auto sales