Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has taken the decision to retrofit some of its models with updated security to try and stop them from being stolen.
The company, which makes high-end luxury models, is installing the new systems on cars built between 2018 and 2022.
The changes are being implemented as data shows that in 2022, the Range Rover was one of the most stolen cars in the UK.
JLR has said current owners will be contacted about the status of their cars and whether or not they will need to travel to a dealer to have systems installed.
In a statement, the chief executive of JLR Adrian Mardell said, while the 2022 statistics were bad, the figures for 2023 were much better.
He said: “The theft record was much worse in 2022 than it is today. Engineers have been working on a significant number of interventions to counteract, avoid, and get ahead of the ways vehicles can actually be taken.”
One of the main ways the cars have been stolen is through thieves hacking into the onboard computers to unlock and start them without a key.
The blame for this digital thievery has allegedly been placed on devices that can mimic the frequency of keyless entry cars.
JLR’s security updates have running for most of 2023 with the tightening of security beginning in January 2022.
Following on from the updates, Mr Mardell said the theft rate was now “incredibly low”.
JLR isn’t the only manufacturer beefing up its security as several manufacturers take steps to keep ahead of digitally-enhanced thieves.
While the uptick in security may come as a relief to JLR drivers, it has come after insurance premiums skyrocketed.
According to the Telegraph, just two insurers were willing to insure a Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic in London with the cheapest annual premium a staggering £22,515.
What’s more, according to figures, in the year to March, one in 100 Land Rovers on the road had been stolen.
In a statement, a spokesperson for JLR said: “JLR vehicles from 2022 onwards – Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Defender, Jaguar F-Pace – are equipped with the latest security features and are proving very resilient to theft.
“We are continuing to roll out a programme to enhance the security of models from 2018 onwards and already tens of thousands of eligible vehicles have received software updates via their retailer, to provide the latest vehicle security.
“We will be contacting more clients directly about this issue in the near future.”
