Certain family hatchback models, including the Renault Megane, Vauxhall Astra and Citroen C4, are prone to a “depreciation trap”, according to EurotaxGlass's.

A five-door Astra bought last March had an identical list-price to the three-door version but it is now worth £1,250 less, the analysts claimed.

While the Megane and C4 do not fare as poorly as the Astra, the depreciation of the five-door model is still far greater than the three-door equivalent.

The analysts said the trend was notable in that the five-door versions have list prices of up to £500 more.

Jeff Paterson, senior car editor at EurotaxGlass's, said the sportier appearance of three-door models helped give them a wider appeal.

“With other cars in the C-segment, such as the Peugeot 307 and Volkswagen Golf, the visual differences between the three and five-door models are more subtle and the differential in values is less marked,” Patterson said.