Fleet managers are being advised to calculate whether hybrid cars offer the best financial solution before committing to them.

“If cutting CO2 emissions is your main objective then hybrids are a great choice but there are some financial issues that fleet decision makers would want to go into some detail before making a decision,” said Dean Bowkett, head of pricing at Masterlease.

Mr Bowkett argues that the hard figures speak volumes. In the UK, a typical Honda 1.4 Hybrid DSi CVT costing £18,935 produces a lower C02 - 109g/km - than the £15,615 VW Blue Motion Jetta - 122g/km - but costs £3,000 more.

Both vehicles share the same MPG figures (61.4), but the Jetta scores higher on its depreciation figure.

Over three years the car will typically lose £9,676 compared to the Honda which will lose £11,967 over the same period.

“This is the best performance of the hybrids because as the models get more expensive they do not do as well as their diesel counterparts in terms of C02 or RV.”