- BMW's X5 was the most stolen vehicle in 2016, followed by Range Rover Sport
- Range Rovers are being stolen at the rate of more than ten a week
- Criminals are hacking cars' on-board security systems
- One in three vehicles recovered by Tracker were stolen using keys
- Thieves with access to vehicle, clone keyless systems and return to steal it
BMW's X5 off-roader and the Range Rover Sport were the most stolen vehicles in 2016, as hi-tech car thieves target luxury 4X4s in steal-to-order crimes, new research reveals today.
Upmarket vehicles from Germany[4]'s BMW and Britain's Land Rover took eight of the top ten places – four each – in a new car-crime league table from security firm Tracker.
It came as Land Rover itself revealed that Range Rovers were being stolen at the rate of more than ten a week, as thieves made off with 115 of the luxury vehicles worth around £10million last year alo ne - though 90 per cent were recovered thanks to its new in-house security system.
Range Rovers - costing from £76,350 to more than £100,000 and averaging around £90,000 - and other rival luxury off-roaders are often targeted, or 'stolen-to-order' as the practive is dubbed, and shipped abroad.
This is as part of a crime-wave involving international and domestic criminal gangs, say security experts.
As cars become more hi-tech, criminals are 'hacking' their on-board security systems, often using devices that can be bought for under £100 at electronics stores or on the internet, which allows them to drive away in the vehicles.
Security experts say the recent growth in keyless car entry and ignition systems has made it easier for thieves to hack cars using small electronic devices and lap-tops.
However, one in three vehicles recovered by Tracker were stolen using the owner's own keys, it said.
Statistics such as this have prompted manufacturers to warn drivers to be especially security conscious when allowing others access to the interior of the car, where thieves can hack the electronics, clone the keyless systems, and return later to steal the vehicle at their leisure.
But car firms and motorists are fighting back. Jaguar Land Rover revealed that its new 'InControlSecure' security and satellite tracking system has led to more than nine out of ten of the stolen 4X4s being recovered.
Thie ves' top choice: BMW's X5 off-roader was the most stolen vehicle in 2016
The average recovery time was under 2 hours but the quickest recovery was just 11 minutes. Of the 115 vehicles that were stolen in 2016, Land Rover recovered 104 of them worth around £94,000 with a recovery rate of 90.5 per cent.
Similarly, Tracker says its own in-car security systems led to the recovery of around 700 cars worth £11.5million last year leading to 62 arrests.
Some 82 vehicles not fitted with Tracker devices were also recovered alongside those that were.
A spokesman said: 'January was the busiest month in 2016 with 74 recoveries in total worth more than £1.37million.'
BMW's X5 off-roader costing between £42,000 and £90,000 returned to the top spot in the Tracker league table after being ousted in 2015 by the Range Rover Sport which it nudged into second place in 2016.
The powerful BMW M3 i s third followed by the Mercedes-Benz C Class and the German car-makers E-Class saloons, and the BMW 3-series.
The Range Rover Autobiography is in seventh place, with the Range Roger Vogue in eighth.
Land Rover's Defender entered the league for the first time, confirming a rise in demand since its production stopped in January of last year, making it a collector's item as values soar. Tenth place was the executive BMW 5-series.
The most expensive stolen car recovered by Tracker in 2016 was a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG worth £120,000, followed by a Range Rover Autobiography and a Porsche 993, both worth £100,000.
But while it is high-end vehicles that dominate the top the theft league, the average value of vehicles stolen and recovered by Tracker dropped to £16,436, from over £19,000 in 2015, as thieves also target more affordable brands, such as Ford, Vauxhall, and Volkswagen models.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) of all vehicles recovered by Tracker in 2016 were valued at less than £5,000, including a VW Golf worth £400.
Jaguar Land Rover's new 'InControlSecure' security and satellite tracking system
How Land Rover is fighting the hi-tech thieves
Britain's biggest car-maker Jaguar Land Rover hopes its new security measures will give confidence to owners in the battle against the criminals.
The car giant said the InControl Secure system is now fitted as standard, with no extra cost, to all Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models with 55,000 subscriptions worldwide of which 45,000 are in the UK.
It comes as Range Rover prepares next week to add a fourth member to the Range Rover family – a mid-sized luxury 4X4 called Velar which will sit between the bigger Range Rover Sport and the smaller Evoque and will be priced from around £40,000.
Peter Virk, Jaguar Land Rover's director of technology said: 'The success of InControl Secure shows that thieves cannot get away with it.
'As well as knowing that they will be able to track their vehicle if stolen, the customer also has reduced insurance premiums.'
The system includes an innovative smartphone app to locate your car when parked up, check your fuel levels remotely, records journey time, distance and fuel economy and allow you to remotely set your car's climate control.
It also has a 'SOS Emergency' function allowing the car to automatically call for assistance after a crash when the driver and other occupants may be incapacitated.
Andy Barrs, head of police liaison at Tracker said: 'Luxury 4x4s remain the most popular type of vehicles for thieves.'
References
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