Audi, Mercedes Outsold BMW in January

BMW AG's namesake brand fell from first to third in sales among luxury nameplates last month, according to company sales reports.

January's new leader is Audi, whose sales climbed 10% to 137,700 units. Mercedes-Benz came in second with sales of 125,900 units, up 14%. BMW brand deliveries rose 6% to 124,600.

BMW has been the world's most popular luxury car brand since 2005. Last year it sold 1.81 million cars and crossovers compared with 1.74 million for Audi and 1.72 million for Mercedes, according to company data.

Audi and Mercedes each have said they aim to overtake BMW in full-year sales volume by 2020.