THE Land Rover theft epidemic is so rife that owners are resorting to chaining their pricey motors to trees like bikes to avoid them being pinched.
Crooks are taking advantage of keyless entry to hack into Land Rovers and Range Rovers and steal the cars in seconds.
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A snap taken in a London street shows one Land Rover Defender – which can cost up to £100,000 – tethered to a tree to try and deter crooks.
One witness said: “Imagine paying £100k for a motor and having to lash it to a tree like a cheap bike. Madness.”
Insurance prices for the new Land Rovers and Range Rovers have gone through the roof and cops in Cambridgeshire revealed that in May, 25 of the motors were stolen from their patch alone.
One driver was quoted £10,000 to insure her Range Rover.
Sun columnist and former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson said of the thefts: “This sent insurance companies into a tizzy and now getting cover is both expensive and tricky.”
Some drivers in the capital have even found that they couldn’t insure the cars and this prompted the car firm JLR to create its own insurance arm to dish out policies.
The Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director, Patrick McGillycuddy, 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.”
JLR said it was already working with police to share information, helping to recover stolen vehicles and providing training for 650 officers, as well as working to make its vehicles less vulnerable.
Some customers are seeing the cost of insuring their Range Rovers skyrocketing.
Meryl Cabellos told BBC News that the cost of insuring his car increased from £2,000 to £4,000 last year, before receiving a best quote of £10,000 this year.
The Sun Online has contacted Land Rover for further comment.
Car insurance has risen lately right across the board, not just for Land Rovers and Range Rovers.
Research from Confused.com in January found that motorists paid 58 per cent more for their cover in 2023 than the previous year, the seventh such rise in a row.
According to the figures, the average price of car insurance in the UK has edged closer to £1,000 following further increases.
They say drivers can now expect to pay an average of £995 – the highest price on record in the UK – with prices going up by an average of £366 in the past 12 months.
Elsewhere, a car dealer bought a £950 Land Rover which could be sold for five times that price.
And a retro-fit Land Rover has been unveiled complete with a full EV conversion that preserves the motor’s classic heritage.
Engineering firm Bedeo has launched an electric conversion of the Land Rover Defender 110, with unique four-in-wheel motors replacing its petrol or diesel engine.
An iconic Land Rover previously owned by Brooklyn Beckham has appeared on eBay for £46,000, including a £500 luxury sound system.
The aspiring chef and his Three Lions legend dad have both been spotted out and about in the motor over the years.
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