Jaguar Land Rover pledges £1m to police to rumble cunning thieves stealing 4x4s
Jaguar Land Rover insists its Range Rovers are not the UK's most stolen cars - but is putting cash behind a scheme to help police stay ahead of vehicle thefts.
Jaguar Land Rover plans to help the police tackle vehicle crime with £1million investment. It comes after JLR boss Adrian Mardell denied Range Rovers are the UK's most stolen vehicle.
The money will go towards helping police operations in theft hotspots and fund a new national policing unit focused on intelligence gathering, according to the BBC.
Patrick McGillycuddy, Managing Director JLR (UK), said: "We are constantly developing our systems and security features and through our close collaboration with police, we stay ahead of any emerging methods and quickly deploy anti-theft measures.
"This additional investment, coupled with our other ongoing and proactive action, shows our commitment to supporting the authorities in having a tangible impact on combating this issue in the UK."
Range Rover owners have told the BBC insurers have been hiking premiums or refusing cover. Tech industry worker, Meryl Cabellos, 41, saw the cost of insuring his 2017 Range Rover Sport double from £2,000 to £4,000 last year.
Mr Cabellos was unable to find an insurer to renew his cover this year and struggled to find a replacement, the BBC reports.
He decided to sell his car after receiving a "best" quote of a staggering £10,000 and the vehicle losing value.
The Frenchman said: "We're just really disappointed. We loved the car, but because of the insurance the experience of owning it went downhill so quick."
In February, Mr Mardell denied reports the Range Rover is Britain's most stolen vehicle, dismissing the claim as misinformation and a myth.
There were reports citing data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that the Range Rover Velar model was the most stolen car in the year to March 2023, with more than two out of every 100 reported stolen.
Mr Mardell told reporters at the time that Range Rover thefts fell 27 percent last year compared with 2022.
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He accused the insurance industry of being slow to respond to such data.
Ranger Rover price tags range from some £40,000 to in excess of £100,000, with celebrities and royals favouring the premium brand.
Jaguar Land Rover accelerated its roll-out of security updates to tackle a spate of keyless car thefts across the UK earlier this month.
Vehicles manufactured as long ago as 2018 are eligible for free updates, including models which are out of warranty.
Some 160,000 vehicles have so far received the update as part of a £15m investment.
