JLR INVESTS IN VEHICLE SECURITY TO REDUCE THEFTS

2021 Range Rover Sport, pictured, among models receiving security updates.

22 November 2023

New Range Rover and new Range Rover Sport consistently exceed standards set by Thatcham, the UK’s leading automotive risk intelligence company
Reflected in low theft rates ‑ only 0.07% of new Range Rover and new Range Rover Sports and 0.3% of new Defenders being stolen
Vehicles built from 2018 have benefitted from investment of more than £10 million, including a series of enhanced security updates
Updates have already been rolled out in the UK to more than 65,000 vehicles, reducing thefts of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models built from 2018 to 2022 by more than 40%
Eligible clients who have already been contacted by JLR are being urged to take up their complimentary security upgrade

Whitley, UK, 22 November 2023: Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) UK has reaffirmed its commitment to vehicle security, ensuring vehicles are protected and updated with the latest technology to prevent thefts.

Vehicles manufactured from 2022 onwards are built on JLR’s most advanced electrical architecture, meaning they have the latest security features and are proving resilient to theft: since January 2022, only 0.07% of new Range Rover and new Range Rover Sports on the road have been stolen, while only 0.3% of new Defenders have been affected since 2020.

The latest security and technology can also be deployed to previous generation vehicles, including those out of warranty, ensuring they are updated with the same levels of protection as current models: since 2022, more than 65,000 eligible vehicles from 2018 models onwards have so far received security updates via their retailer. JLR has carried out this extensive rollout out by contacting clients directly and remaining owners are being urged to take up these updates.

While vehicle theft in the UK is affecting the whole car industry, at JLR we understand the negative impact this can have on the ownership experience for our clients. Our investment of more than £10 million demonstrates our ongoing commitment to tackling this issue.

Through our long‑standing collaboration with law enforcement and key partners, our expert team will continue to develop and deploy effective anti‑theft measures to ensure clients are protected. It is my personal priority.

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Patrick McGillycuddy

Managing Director JLR UK

JLR’s investment includes updates to the Body Control Module (BCM) which prevents thieves driving away a vehicle without a key. Criminals have previously hacked the keyless entry system enabling them to start the engine but JLR’s updates contain embedded technology to prevent this.

In 2018, JLR pioneered the development of Ultra‑Wide Band (UWB) protection to counter the ‘relay attack’, where criminals intercept signals between the vehicle and key to unlock the car. Vehicles are not vulnerable to that method when equipped with this technology, which also mitigates the requirement to store keys in a faraday pouch.

JLR always recommend clients use every available measure to protect their vehicle, including the Jaguar and Land Rover ‘Remote’ apps. These are connected service which JLR has made available so clients can access a suite of security features, such as vehicle lock reminders and ‘Guardian Mode’, which monitors the vehicle and provides an alert if there is any unauthorised interaction.

JLR also strongly urges any Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar clients who have been contacted about the security updates available to them, to ensure they are completed via their authorised retailer.

JLR has worked closely with automotive risk and intelligence company Thatcham Research for almost three decades, to develop industry leading security systems.

Thatcham Research acknowledges that organised criminality is of serious concern to all vehicle manufacturers. Along with Thatcham Research, JLR has actively supported police and other partners, adopting a holistic approach to identify potential security vulnerabilities, and working proactively to close them down.

We continue to work closely with JLR, including benchmarking of their recently implemented theft countermeasures as examples of security best practice. We are hopeful these measures will limit further theft exposure.

Richard Billyeald

Chief Technical Officer at Thatcham

Further information can be found by visiting:

Landrover.co.uk/retailers and Jaguar.co.uk/retailers

Further information

For all client enquires please click on the following link:

Land Rover: https://www.landrover.co.uk/contact‑us.html

Jaguar: https://www.jaguar.co.uk/contact‑us/index.html

Notes to Editors

JLR strongly advises the following security steps for clients:

Always lock your car when leaving it unattended.
Activate the alarm by pressing the lock button on the door or smart key twice within a three‑second interval.
Use the Jaguar and Land Rover Remote app and switch on vehicle lock reminders and Guardian Mode for added security. All new vehicles come with a free subscription package for three years. The app is available in app stores.
Ensure Secure Tracker/Secure Tracker Pro is activated. All new vehicles come with a free Secure Tracker/Secure Tracker Pro subscription package for 12 months.
Don’t leave keys where they can be easily taken, for example near a letterbox – but do not hide them. If thieves break into your home, it is far better for your safety that they do not confront you for your keys.

About JLR:

JLR’s Reimagine strategy is delivering a sustainability‑rich vision of modern luxury by design.
We are transforming our business to become carbon net zero across our supply chain, products, and operations by 2039. We have set a roadmap to reduce emissions across our own operations and value chains by 2030 through approved, science‑based targets. Electrification is central to this strategy and before the end of the decade our Range Rover, Discovery, Defender collections will each have a pure electric model, while Jaguar will be entirely electric.
At heart we are a British company, with two design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities, an engine manufacturing centre, and a battery assembly centre in the UK. We also have vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria, and Slovakia, as well as seven technology hubs across the globe.
JLR is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited, part of Tata Sons.

Thatcham Research:

Thatcham Research is the automotive risk intelligence company dedicated to understanding the opportunities and risks of new vehicle technology and supporting our partners in identifying the best strategies for its safe, secure, and sustainable adoption.
The independent voice of automotive safety, security, and repair, we work in close partnership with insurers, vehicle manufacturers, technology providers and government, providing rigorous engineering‑grade research and data to help minimise uncertainty presented by changes in technology and regulation.
www.thatcham.org