BMW-branded passenger car sales rose 2.9 percent, mainly thanks to demand for compact cars, the group said in a statement on Tuesday.

"March 2016 has been the best single month ever for BMW Group sales," Ian Robertson, BMW's board member responsible for sales and marketing, said.

"Globally, I am confident that we will see this positive trend continue through the year," he added.

BMW brand vehicle sales reached 201,352 in March.

MINI sales were higher in March 2016 than in any previous single month in the brand’s history. A total of 39,061 cars were delivered, a 6.6 percent jump compared with the same month last year.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Maria Sheahan)