BMW sees 2014 passenger car sales growing 3-4 percent

By Edward Taylor and Irene Preisinger

PARIS (Reuters) - Luxury carmaker BMW's global passenger car sales should grow by between 3 and 4 percent this year, sales chief Ian Robertson told Reuters on Thursday.

Robertson said growth in Europe would be uneven this year and it would be more than three years before markets recovered to pre-crisis levels.

Although growth was slowing in China, it would still be higher than in other markets, Robertson said in an interview at the Paris auto show, adding BMW would now make the 2-series active tourer in China.

Robertson said BMW would increase production of the i8 hybrid sportscar, which is built on the same production line as the i3 electric car.

"The i8 is completely sold out. We will make a few more i8s because the order bank is too long," he said, adding that BMW would make more than 880 i8s.

(Writing by Georgina Prodhan; Editing by Mark Potter)