Security under scrutiny

THE RACV and NRMA have used the release of the 2008 RACV Vehicle Theft Ratings yesterday (July 7) to call for Toyota, Holden and Ford to adopt a new vehicle identification system.

The RACV tested the security of a variety of popular models and this year named Audi, BMW, Porsche and Subaru as stand-out brands because all their models performed well, while commercial vehicles including the Mitsubishi Express, Ford Ranger and Mahindra Pik-Up rated poorly.

Audi models – the A3 Sportback 3.2 quattro, A8 4.2 sedan and Q7 SUV – received the three highest individual scores, while two Hondas (the Jazz and Odyssey), two Holdens (the five-door Barina and Viva) and Nissan’s Patrol were the lowest non-commercial achievers.

Hyundai’s Grandeur scored 76 points out of 120 to defeat the homegrown Holden Commodore Omega (74), Ford Falcon XT sedan (71) and Toyota Aurion Sportivo ZR6 sedan (63) in the large-car class.

Audi, Hyundai, Nissan and Renault were the first to use the vehicle tag technology when it became available last year, but the motoring associations say Australian-made cars should also be protected by the new self-voiding identification label, which replace riveted aluminium VIN plates, disintegrate when removed from the vehicle, are said to be impossible to counterfeit and costs just $2.

According to the RACV, factors that can contribute to the likelihood of a car being stolen include desirability, performance, cost of spare parts and exposure to the marketplace, but the major factor in car theft is the level of security of the car itself.

Vehicle identification technology is not assessed as part of the theft rating test, which includes ease of entry, ignition lock/switch construction, original equipment (OE) engine immobiliser, OE car alarm, miscellaneous devices (such as locking wheel nuts, etc) and stereo security.

But RACV chief engineer Michael Case said vehicle identification is among the best defences against professional car theft, which costs the Australian community $250 million annually and was highlighted by the disparity between new vehicles’ resistance to being broken into, stolen and subsequently re-birthed.

“We’d like to see local manufacturers follow suit and play their part in tackling the issue of professional car theft in Australia,” he said.

“We urge consumers to consider security attributes when purchasing a vehicle in addition to other considerations such as styling, fuel consumption and safety levels.

“This year’s results have again highlighted the need for manufacturers to update their vehicle identification technology.

“Improved vehicle identification is a major focus of the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council as the majority of manufacturers still use old aluminium compliance plates that can be simply removed making it easy for professional thieves to re-birth cars,” said Mr Case.

RACV 2008 Vehicle Theft Ratings Small cars
Highest
Citroen C3 5-door	79.5
Citroen C2 3-door	79.5
Volkswagen Polo Match/TDI 5-door	79.5
Hyundai Getz 5-door (all models except SXi)	85
Lowest
Holden Barina sedan	47.5
Holden Barina 5-door	46.5
Honda Jazz 5-door	30.5

Small/medium cars:
Highest
Audi A3 3.2 quattro 5-door	112.5
BMW 1 Series 5-door	104
Audi A3 1.6/2.0 FSI 3-door	102.5
Subaru Impreza R sedan	96.5
Lowest
Suzuki SX4 5-door	55
Proton Gen.2 (M Line/H Line) 5-door	49
Holden Viva 5-door	46.5

Medium cars:
Highest
Subaru Liberty wagon	102
Citroen C5 sedan	89.5
Hyundai Sonata V6 sedan	76
Lowest
Toyota Camry Sportivo sedan	60
Kia Magentis sedan	55.5
Holden Epica sedan	53.5

Large cars:
Highest
Hyundai Grandeur sedan	76
Holden Commodore Omega sedan	74
Ford Falcon XT sedan	71
Lowest
Ford Falcon G6E sedan	69.5
Chrysler 300C sedan	67.5
Toyota Aurion Sportivo ZR6 sedan	63

People-movers:
Highest
Subaru Tribeca wagon	102
Volkswagen Multivan (Highline)	85
Citroen C4 Picasso wagon	79.5
Lowest
Kia Grand Carnival wagon	56
Toyota Tarago GLX wagon	53
Honda Odyssey wagon	46.5

4WDs:
Highest
Audi Q7 wagon	105.5
BMW X3 wagon	104
BMW X5 wagon	104
Lowest
Nissan X-Trail wagon	48
Toyota Landcruiser Prado GX wagon	47
Nissan Patrol wagon (except DX)	45

Luxury vehicles:
Highest
Audi A8 4.2 sedan	113.5
Audi A4 sedan	107
Audi A6 sedan	107
Lowest
Mercedes Benz E-class sedan	70
Honda Legend sedan	64.5
Nissan Maxima sedan	60.5

* Total score out of 120 Visit www.racv.com.au for full results.