SECURITY is being changed on Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles to combat car thieves who target the luxury models.

The company has invested £10 million in new technology on its vehicle security systems which include changes to the vehicles' body control module that prevents thieves from taking a car without a key.

On the Range Rover the previous generation model was the second-most stolen vehicle between 2019 and 2022 with more than 5,000 being taken in 2022.

Already some 65,000 Range Rovers and Range Rover Sports have received security updates at Land Rover dealerships which JLR says has reduced the numbers being stolen by 40 per cent.

The software updates are complimentary and cars that are outside their factory warranty periods are also eligible for the new systems.

JLR says that since January 2022 only 0.07 per cent of new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models in the UK have been stolen.

In addition, only 0.3 percent of new Defenders have been subject to theft.

The upgrades exceed the security guidelines set by industry experts at Thatcham.

Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover, said: "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."

JLR has pioneered the development of ultra-wide ban protection to stop thieves intercepting signals between the vehicle and its key to unlock the car.

The new technology includes systems that stops the car being driven without a key.

Other features includes changes to the JLR remote app which now alerts drivers if their vehicle in unlocked and the cars are being fitted with a ‘guardian' mode which sends updates if the vehicle is tampered with.

JLR is reminding owners to always lock their vehicle when leaving it unattended and activate the alarm by pressing the lock twice within a three second interval.

Owners are recommended to use every available measure to protect their vehicle, including the Jaguar and Land Rover remote apps - a connected service which JLR has made available to access a suite of security features, such as vehicle lock reminders and ‘the guardian mode which monitors the vehicle and provides an alert if there is any unauthorised interaction.

The company is also urging owners who have been contacted about the security updates that are available to have them completed by their authorised retailer.