TREND-BUSTING PRICE HIKE FOR SELECT USED DIESELS

Diesel may be on the way out, but not all models are falling in price

- JOHN EVANS

The values of some used diesel cars are actually increasing despite the fading appeal of the powertrain in the new car market, say leading vehicle valuation experts.

In the first half of 2025, just 58,722 new diesels were registered, down 11.3% on 2024. This continues a decline that can be traced to 2017, amid the fallout from the Dieselgate scandal and concerns about future vehicle taxation and emissions penalties.

Diesel's days appear numbered. Only a few car makers still produce diesel models - among them Audi, BMW and JLR - and other types, such as petrol, hybrid and battery-electric vehicles, are experiencing rising demand.

For most diesel models, this is reflected in increased rates of depreciation, but, bucking this trend, some have actually increased in value over what they were worth a year ago.

For example, according to Cap HPI, a three-year-old diesel Honda HR-V with 60,000 miles is worth 11.3% more today than the same model was at the same point last year. In addition, the value of an equivalent Mercedes CLS has risen 8% and a Ford Mondeo 6.5%.

Explaining the figures, Dylan Setterfield, head of forecast strategy at Cap HPI, said: “There is still demand for diesel in the used market from both consumers and dealers, with fuel economy continuing to be a significant factor for high-mileage drivers.

“New [diesel] car volumes have been decreasing for some time, and this is translating into reduced used car volumes. We expect these reductions to be partially offset by the ongoing reduction in consumer demand and that prices will behave similarly to petrol [car prices] in the next few years.”

However, the market is experiencing wild valuation extremes and some models are instead depreciating at higher than expected rates compared with what they were worth last year.