According to Glass’s head of valuations Rupert Pontin, the “popularity of petrol hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) while new is being driven almost entirely by company car taxation – and is unlikely to be matched by used car buyers”.

In response, Mitsubishi highlighted that 50% of sales of the Outlander PHEV are to private buyers through the company’s retail network and commented “these customers will not have any advantage from company car taxation incentives”.

A spokesperson for the carmaker added: “Furthermore, sales of used PHEVs have been swift, supported by a competitive personal contract purchase plan based on strong residual values.

“The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV still leads the market as the UK’s favourite plug-in vehicle. It has achieved over 18,000 sales from launch and currently accounts for around half of all plug-in car grant applications. The 4×4 SUV combines an all-electric range of up to 32.5 miles that easily accommodates average daily driving distances, with an efficient 2.0 litre petrol engine to deliver an anxiety-free combined driving range in excess of 500 miles.”