FRANKFURT, May 12 (Reuters) - BMW passenger car sales of its core brand rose 5.6 percent in April to a record 148,896 vehicles, as strong demand its 2-Series van in Europe and demand for offroad vehicles in the United States helped offset sluggish China demand.
Sales of BMW and Mini vehicles rose 8.7 percent in Europe, by 9.6 percent in North America while sales in China remained almost flat at 37,976 cars, a 0.6 percent rise compared with the same month a year earlier.
Deliveries of the Mini brand jumped 28 percent thanks to full availability of the new 3 and 5 door models. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Maria Sheahan)