Recently it was observed that Range Rover owners are not able to get insurance for their vehicles in the UK, or with insurance rates increased by as much as double. It is said that Range Rovers are the second most often stolen vehicle in the country. Furthermore, there are no reported thefts of the new-shape Range Rovers, yet.
The Range Rover is a common sight in the metropolises of the world, built to handle mud and gravel but more usually seen gliding up to the valet at a fancy restaurant. Even on London’s busy and sometimes narrow streets, a wafting Rover is a popular choice, whether for actual Royals or just the very well-heeled. But in the U.K.’s capital city, Range Rovers have become popular with a more nefarious set. According to recent reporting from the U.K. magazine Autocar, Range Rovers have become the second most popular vehicle to steal in the U.K., with 5200 of them nicked in 2022. The vast majority of these thefts happened in London, and insurance companies have taken notice. This situation isn’t like that of the recent rash of thefts of Hyundais and Kias. Instead of pranksters on TikTok, many of these Range Rovers are said to be stolen by networks of professional thieves taking advantage of keyless entry technology.
Stolen vehicles
Apparently, it’s all too easy to fence a hot Range Rover, either locally or by shipping it overseas, never to be seen again. According to one investigator interviewed by Autocar, the issue isn’t with some security flaw, but simply because a Range Rover is a fat and valuable target. Crime pays. Insurance companies, on the other hand, do not enjoy paying out. Premiums for Range Rovers have reportedly skyrocketed in the U.K., doubling in some cases.
That’s assuming you can get coverage at all, as some insurers will flat-out not cover a Range Rover. Autocar did its homework here, requesting quotes on a current full-size Range Rover vs. an equivalently priced Bentley Bentayga. Quotes on the Rover topped out at the equivalent of $7200, double to triple the prices quoted for the Bentayga. Thefts reported are of older Range Rover models, not the current ones. JLR representatives noted to Autocar that they were working on solutions to the insurance issue and further pointed out the advanced security features available via the company’s Remote app. In the 1960s, Jaguar’s Mk II sedans were the pick of the likes of Roy “The Weasel” James, a getaway driver in a number of brazen heists. In those cases, the Jag was picked for its ability to outrun the coppers. Here, the Range Rover is itself the ill-gotten gain.