FILE PHOTO: The BMW logo is seen on a car in Nice, France, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

BERLIN (Reuters) - BMW BMWG.DE said it sold 2.52 million BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles in 2019, making it the best-selling premium car group, ahead of rival Daimler DAIGn.DE.

Daimler DAIGn.DE said on Thursday it had sold 2.34 million Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in 2019 for a ninth consecutive year of record sales..

BMW said its BMW brand posted a sales record of 2.17 million vehicles in 2019. The BMW Group achieved record sales in China and the United States last year.

Sales of the BMW and Mini brands in Europe fell slightly year-on-year, the carmaker said, citing political and economic uncertainties and added that it expected 2020 sales to be at the previous year’s level.

The BMW Group said it was aiming for a slight increase in 2020 sales, counting on robust Chinese demand.