JLR rolls out latest insurance solution amid security fears

Jaguar Land Rover is rolling out its new insurance offering to help customers protect themselves from the scourge of key cloning and keyless car theft as criminals target its high value vehicles to strip for parts or resale abroad.

The carmaker earlier this year said it had invested more than £10 million in ensuring vehicles built from 2018 onwards are protected and updated with the latest technology through a series of enhanced security updates. Since 2022, more than 70,000 eligible Defender, Discovery, Range Rover and Jaguar cars made since 2018 onwards have now received free security updates to ensure the same levels of protection against theft as current, new models.

Vehicles manufactured from 2022 onwards are built on JLR’s most advanced electrical architecture, meaning they have the latest security features.

Police forces are however still advising owners to fit mechanical security devices, such as pedal locks, wheel clamps and steering wheel locks.

Recent DVLA data shows that the Range Rover was the second most stolen car of 2022, the Land Rover Discovery was the fifth most stolen. Year-on-year the number of stolen Range Rovers has increased by 47% to 5,533 since 2021. 

Now, in a move to help customers access insurance cover, Range Rover clients in the UK are now being offered protection through Land Rover Insurance. Cover is also available to owners of Defender and Discovery vehicles, as well as Jaguar cars through Jaguar Insurance.

The fully comprehensive insurance ensures any repairs are completed by a JLR authorised bodyshop, using only genuine parts. The policy is flexible with no deposits or interest charges and clients are able to amend or cancel their cover with no fee. The price is also guaranteed for 12 months.

JLR said the service has provided quotes to more than 4,000 clients since October, with an average monthly premium of less than £200, adding that it has shared its latest security data with leading insurance providers to help increase the range of insurance options on the open market. 

Patrick McGillycuddy, JLR UK managing director, said: “Customers of luxury cars and other luxury goods are experiencing an increase in thefts due to organised criminal activity in the UK. The desirability of our luxury vehicles, coupled with concerns around thefts, has recently led to challenges in obtaining insurance cover for some clients.

“We are fully committed to doing everything we can to address this by adopting a multifaceted approach: from our significant investment in vehicle security, to now providing our own insurance. While our new insurance proposition is a key milestone, we want to reassure clients that we will continue monitoring and refining our service so that even more clients can take advantage of it.” 

JLR said its latest vehicles are proving resilient to theft with UK police data indicating that since January 2022, only 9 of the 12,200 new Range Rovers on the road have been stolen (0.07 per cent), while only 13 of the 13,400 new Range Rover Sports on the road have been affected (0.1 per cent).

JLR told AM: “We’ve previously had an insurance offering and this was provided by Verex. This partnership ended earlier this year and this new offering is being provided by a new supplier. This new service was always intended to go live, it’s just that it’s of greater significance at the moment due to the challenges some of our clients have been facing.”

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• Source: https://www.am-online.com/news/manufacturer/2023/12/19/jlr-forced-to-offer-own-insurance-amid-security-fears