General Motors' U.S. sales rose 3.7 percent last year as the company's growth was eclipsed by other automakers.

GM sold just under 2.6 million new cars and trucks in 2012. Its December sales rose almost 5 percent from a year earlier.

The company's sales growth for the year lagged the U.S. auto industry, which was expected to grow 13 percent from 2011 numbers.

Other automakers reported strong sales for the year. Chrysler sales jumped 21 percent, while Volkswagen was up 35 percent.

GM was led by the Chevrolet Sonic small car, with sales up more than five times the number sold in 2011.

But sales of the Chevy Silverado pickup, GM's top-selling vehicle, rose less than 1 percent for the year.