Industry News from Yes Insurance

Owners of superminis are being told to get extra security measures for their vehicles after tests showed it is possible to break in to some in just three seconds.

The Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo performed worst in vigorous tests carried out by consumer magazine Which?

The three cars scored a measly 14 points from a possible 100 for car security and the results could lead to owners having to make more claims to their car insurance providers.

The fact that such a short time is needed to get into these cars will be a worry for owners and is cause for concern in an age when car security is supposed to be improving.

"They are all based on a common design. They are all built in the same factory," said Which?

"Shockingly, we broke into all of them in just three seconds without needing to cause any damage. Such primitive security places these cars near the bottom of the pile."

Other low performers were the Kia Cerato 1.6 LX, which also took just three seconds to break into, while the larger Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club was opened up in 18 seconds.

Which? revealed the alarming fact that 81 cars are broken into every hour in the UK and said the industry needs to do something about it.

"While thieves get more professional, car makers are too slow to increase security. With many cars it is still far too easy for a crook to get in and make off with the booty," it said.

The car that performed best in the examination was the Audi A6 2.4 SE, followed by the Lexus LS 430 4.3.

© Adfero Ltd