A INDEPENDENT residual value survey among 35 leasing companies has put a Volvo diesel at the top of a chart of junior executive contenders.

According to the Insight survey, the Volvo S60 D5 S currently has the strongest residual value in its sector, at 38.4% over three years/60,000 miles. In the survey, this beats the Mercedes-Benz C220 Classic by 0.3 percentage points (38.1%), the BMW 320d SE by 0.4 percentage points (38.0%) and the Audi A4 TDI SE 130 by 0.7 percentage points (37.7%).

With a P11d value of £20,700, the Volvo S60 D5 S is also the best value in its group. Its monthly rental price stands at £406, which is nearly £30 per month lower than the average cost within the sector.

John Wallace, Volvo leasing and rental manager, said: 'We work hard to ensure we position our cars correctly and provide the right level of specification. We take representatives from leasing companies, fleet managers and guide editors to see each model at its pre-production stage, drive them against competitors and consult with them on engine choice, price, specification and badging.

'We take their advice on board and the results speak for themselves in terms of the growing popularity of our vehicles in the fleet sector.'