JLR UK has invested £10 million ($12.5 million / €11.4 million) into developing and rolling out updates designed to protect vehicles in its brand portfolio from theft.
While highlighting the impact of the updates on the new Range Rover, Range Rover Sports, and Defender models, the corporation confirmed that they can also be deployed to previous vehicle generations – including those out of warranty. Here, more than 65,000 eligible vehicles from MY 2018 onwards have received security updates through their retailer, with the broader rollout carried out by JLR contacting clients directly and encouraging remaining owners to install these updates as soon as possible.
JLR’s investment includes updates to the Body Control Module (BCM) that prevents thieves driving away a vehicle without a key. While criminals had previously hacked the keyless entry system, enabling them to start the engine, JLR’s updates contain embedded technology to prevent this.
In addition to the updates, JLR advised customers to use every available measure to ensure their vehicles remain protected, including the ‘Remote’ smartphone apps for its Jaguar and Land Rover brands. The connected service apps offer security features such as vehicle lock reminders and a Guardian Mode that monitors the vehicle and provides an alert in the event of an unauthorized interaction.
