A new 2013 Passat sits in a bay at the Chattanooga Volkswagen plant.

Bolstered by a 35 percent jolt in U.S. sales, Volkswagen set a new global mark in 2012 for VW brand sales, the automaker reported today.

The VW brand, which includes the Chattanooga-made Passat, closed 2012 by delivering 5.74 vehicles worldwide, up 12.7 percent over 2011, the company said in a news release.

The brand recorded a 30.6 percent rise for the month of December, delivering 517,900.

"There has been another strong increase for the Volkswagen passenger cars brand even though market conditions were at times difficult," said Christian Klingler, board member for sales and marketing for the Volkswagen Group, in a statement.

Earlier this month, VW of America reported the brand had a 35 percent jump in sales over 2011 to 438,133 vehicles to lead all major car companies.

The Passat, made at Enterprise South industrial park, helped fuel VW sales in the U.S., with the midsize sedan hitting an all-time annual record about 50 percent higher than the former peak in 2001.