BMW cars are seen at the automobile terminal in the port of Dalian, Liaoning province, China January 9, 2019. Picture taken January 9, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

BERLIN (Reuters) - BMW's BMWG.DE group sales went up 1.1 percent worldwide in 2018 to 2,490,664 vehicles, the company said on Friday, adding that it expected a slight increase this year despite challenging market conditions.

BMW brand sales increased by 1.8 pct worldwide in 2018, to 2,125,026 vehicles, the company said, with December sales rising 1.3 percent.

The group’s December sales fell 0.7 percent compared with the previous year, affected by a 11.3 percent drop in the MINI brand sales.