2013 has started pleasantly for BMW, as readers of the famed German trade magazine 'auto, motor und sport' has given certain models the best ratings in three different categories.

The new F30 3 Series compact sedan has reached the top of the highly competitive midrange segment, while the bigger 5 Series defends its lead in the upper midrange segment.

The new 6 Series Gran Coupe - BMW's take on four-door coupes - took the first place in the luxury class rating.

A total of 112,877 readers participated in the voting. The accolades were presented to Dr. Ian Robertson, Board Member of the BMW AG responsible for BMW Sales and Marketing, during a Gala event held in Stuttgart.

Running for 37 years, the automotive trade magazine 'auto, motor und sport' took pride in this large scale opinion survey.

In the current survey, readers were able to choose from 373 models, assessed in a total of ten different categories. These included 51 completely new models, which were being assessed for the first time, as well as 48 revised model series.