Jaguar Land Rover is contacting thousands of its customers in order to upgrade their cars with improved security, in a bid to stem an epidemic of Range Rover thefts.
Range Rovers were the most stolen vehicle in the UK in 2022, principally because of their high resale value. Criminals are able to manipulate the keyless technology, used in many luxury models, to steal the cars.
JLR, which is a subsidiary of the Indian car maker Tata Motors, is updating the security systems of a variety of Land Rover and Jaguar models made between 2018 to 2022.
“JLR vehicles from 2022 onwards – Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Defender, Jaguar F Pace are equipped with the latest security features and are proving very resilient to theft,” a JLR official said.
“We are continuing to roll out a programme to enhance the security of models from 2018 onwards and already tens of thousands of eligible vehicles have received software updates via their retailer, to provide the latest vehicle security.
“We will be contacting more clients directly about this issue in the near future.”
The convenience that many new luxury cars now have of keyless technology is now experiencing a downside.
Thieves are able to purchase electronic hacking equipment which tricks the car's security system into unlocking the doors and starting the engine without the keys.
It all comes down to radio frequencies, which criminals can hack into simply by standing near an owner's house where the car keys are kept.
Copying that signal and relaying it to the nearby parked car will open the doors and allow a thief to drive it away.
It is believed the upgrades involve making the codes and frequencies less hackable, but JLR is naturally reluctant to share details.
Most luxury cars receive security updates regularly and remotely and the industry itself is acutely aware of the problem.
Newer models, fewer thefts
In the 12 months to late March, 8,284 Land Rovers were stolen in the UK, according to figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
This is 1 per cent of all Land Rovers on the road in the UK.
Range Rover models accounted for six of the 10 most-stolen cars, with the Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic being the thieves' favourite.
But JLR was by no means alone – DVLA figures show that of the 1,717,687 Mercedes-Benz cars registered in the UK, 5,542 were stolen during the year to last March.
JLR chief executive Adrian Mardell said continuing improvements in anti-theft software and hardware will lower the number of thefts dramatically.
“We’re very confident that our vehicles being purchased today are in a much more protected state than they would have been two to three years ago,” he said.
“The theft record was much worse in 2022 than it is today.
“Engineers have been working on a significant number of interventions to counteract, avoid and get ahead of the ways that vehicles can actually be taken.”
The knock-on effect luxury car theft is having on insurance premiums in the UK, was illustrated by analysis by The Daily Telegraph.
It found just two insurers willing to cover a Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic in London, with an average annual premium coming in at £22,515 ($27,770).
Nonetheless, sales of JLR's three most profitable models, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender, continue to increase.
At the end of September, the car maker had more than 168,000 client orders, with Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender making up 77 per cent of the total JLR order book.
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
The Porpoise
By Mark Haddon
(Penguin Random House)
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
