FLEETS can improve residual values by up to 15% by upgrading to facelifted versions of existing cars.

EurotaxGlass’s said during the first year of ownership, new exterior styling can make a huge difference.

A comparison of the trade values of a range of cars before and after they underwent mid-life facelifts indicates that used car buyers will often pay substantially more for the latest styling.

The price premiums are highest for vehicles produced by prestige marques such as Audi, BMW and Porsche. A 2004 54-plate Audi A4 2.0 SE CVT, with the marque’s distinctive new grille, currently commands a £1,825 premium over the pre-facelifted version of the same car registered just weeks earlier on the same 54-plate.

A facelifted BMW X5 3.0 registered in early 2004 on a 53-plate is currently worth £1,025 more than the same X5 on a 53-plate built immediately prior to the facelift. Similarly, a 2001 51-plate facelifted Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Tiptronic has a £1,425 premium over the pre-facelift model on the same 51-plate.

Richard Crosthwaite, prestige car editor at EurotaxGlass’s, said: ‘Often these facelifted cars cost the same or only marginally more than the outgoing model, and yet the residual value performance is significantly better, particularly during the first 12 months.

‘Even after three years, facelifted cars will still typically retain about 50% of the initial premium. Although updates to the styling are often accompanied by under-the-skin changes, the evidence suggests it is the more distinctive new styling treatments that generate the greatest uplift in demand and a consequent improvement in used prices.’