BERLIN (AP) -- Global sales at BMW AG were up 17 percent on the year in January, with Asia leading the way and steady growth in the United States, the luxury car maker said Tuesday.
Total sales last month for the BMW Group -- which includes BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce -- rose to 82,120 cars, the company said.
Deliveries of core BMW brand cars were up 16 percent to 69,852, while Mini sales rose 20 percent to 12,181.
Rolls-Royce deliveries rose to 87 from last January's 37, while BMW Motorcycles saw sales increased 2.2 percent to 3,814.
Helped by models such as the new BMW 5-series and Mini Countryman, "we are aiming for growth in the single-digit percentage range for 2010, and intend to sell more than 1.3 million vehicles," BMW board member Ian Robertson said.
In Asia, the BMW Group's total sales were up 75 percent on the year in January at 18,523. Many of those sales were in China, where deliveries rose 122 percent to 11,919.
Group sales in the U.S. were up 7.7 percent at 15,410, BMW said. In Europe, there was a 2.4 percent increase to 41,087.
BMW's report follows healthy January sales increases for its German rivals. Audi AG has said its global sales were up 39 percent on the year, while Mercedes-Benz saw a 24 percent rise.
BMW shares were little changed in Frankfurt, trading up just under 0.1 percent at euro29.63 ($40.49).
