A guess on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 has blasted Range Rovers as being “utterly uninsurable”.
Journalist Adam Rayner was speaking on Mr Vine’s show about the rising cost of insurance which has affected cars of all types.
One of the main examples used to illustrate the rising cost of insurance has been the difficulty some people have been experiencing in trying to get insurance on Range Rovers, a popular type of premium SUV.
Mr Rayner was discussing what could be done to reduce premiums and improve vehicle security when he suggested the cars, made by Jaguar Land Rover, were uninsurable.
Mr Rayner said: “The one thing that does really come out of this is maybe we should ban keyless technology. That’s one breathtaking thing.
“My specialisation in cars is electronics and I’m still dumbfounded. Range Rovers are utterly uninsurable. Range Rovers can be fitted five at a time into a 40-foot container.”
Mr Rayner also took aim at black boxes, devices fitted to cars which monitor the driver’s speed at all times and which can be fitted to reduce insurance premiums.
Mr Rayner claimed: “The black box has brought with it a whole new era of misery and misbehaviour. Every inch you move within a GPS sensor is recorded. Trouble is the way it changes [the driver’s] behaviour.”
The discussion on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show comes as questions grow about whether something should be done to reduce the rate at which insurance premiums are rising.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the average price paid for car insurance in the final quarter of 2023 rose by around £157.
They laid the blame for the rise in the rising cost of replacement cars, higher repair costs, and longer repair times for cars.
The Independent reported that the Director of general insurance policy at the ABI, Mervyn Skeet said: “We’re acutely aware of the impact that rising motor insurance premiums continue to have on motorists.”
Mr Skeet added: “Rising repair costs and other factors outside of insurers’ control mean there is no single action that could bring down premiums. However, we are determined to do all we can to put the brake on.
“The cost of paying monthly (premium finance) is one of a number of topics we continue to discuss with our members and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We’ve also been very clear, and continue to underline, that cutting insurance premium tax would provide immediate relief for stretched consumers.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Jaguar Land Rover for comment.
