4:29 pm, January 29, 2021
The most-stolen car in the UK last year was the Ford Fiesta, which saw a huge increase in thefts.
The popular hatchback topped the chart by some distance, with 3,392 stolen in 2020 – an increase of more than 1,000 on 2019. It was followed by the Range Rover at 2,881 and Volkswagen Golf on 1,975.
The figures, which came from a Freedom of Information request by vehicle leasing firm Rivervale Leasing, show that with almost 75,000 vehicle thefts overall, almost 20,000 more cars were stolen last year than in 2019 – that’s 205 per day.
It’s perhaps no surprise to see the Fiesta, pictured, at number one, because it’s Britain’s best-selling car – 49,174 were sold in 2020 – but the top 10 also features a mix of premium and more mainstream models.
However, when looking at the number of cars stolen per 1,000 on the road, premium models come out on top.
The Range Rover takes top position, with seven of every 1,000 on the road being stolen. It’s followed by the BMW X5 (six per 1,000) and Mercedes-Benz GLC (five per 1,000).
The data also shows that once criminals identify a model they want to take, they tend to stick with it. Nine of the top 10 most-stolen vehicles in 2020 were also present in the list in 2019, and in the same order.
Preventative measures can be taken to reduce the risk of a vehicle being stolen, though.
For example, keyless theft has become a big problem in recent years, but advising motorists to store their keys as far from their parked car as possible makes it harder for criminals to capture the signal.
Making use of a garage can really help, too, as 76 per cent of thefts are from the street. If on-road parking is unavoidable, though, then leaving a car in a well-lit area is advisable, since 80 per cent of thefts take place at night.
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The top 15 cars stolen in 2020 (Source: Rivervale Leasing)
Ford Fiesta – 3,392
Range Rover – 2,881
Volkswagen Golf – 1,975
Ford Focus – 1,587
BMW 3 Series – 1,435
Vauxhall Astra – 1,126
Land Rover Discovery – 900
Mercedes-Benz E Class – 766
BMW 5 Series – 678
Nissan Qashqai – 655
Ford Kuga – 620
BMW X5 – 551
Fiat 500 – 358
Mercedes-Benz GLC – 342
Audi A6 – 268
