Keyless car can be broken into in just 10 seconds – and some popular models are easier to break into than others
CAR thieves can steal some of the UK's most popular motors in just 10 seconds using keyless technology.
And some newer models were easier to break into than others.
A recent investigation by revealed popular UK models are vulnerable to keyless entry attacks by thieves.
During the tests, security experts used specialised technology typically used by thieves to test how quickly they could gain access to a car.
A DS3 Crossback Puretech was one of the easiest motors to steal, according to the study, with the team gaining access and driving away within 10 seconds when using relay theft equipment.
Relay theft is a common technique used by criminals to capture the unique signals from a key fob to open and start the car.
Using the same technique, the experts were also able to steal an Audi TT RS Roadster within ten seconds.
But they weren't able to access the vehicle after 15 minutes, as the fob has a motion sensor which goes to sleep when left untouched.
Like the Audi, a BMW X3 and Ford Fiesta were opened within 40 seconds while their keys were active and driven away within 20 seconds.
A Mercedes-Benz A-Class A220 was also accessed within 50 seconds when its key was awake.
A Land Rover Discovery Sport was another motor which was easily accessed by the experts, who used a lock picker to open the car door.
They then plugged a device into the in-car computer which gave them the unique code to start the engine.
Recent figures reveal more than 106,000 vehicles were stolen last year, with £376million paid out by to those who made claims against vehicle theft.
Ron Cliff, car key specialist at Edilock Group, said: "An independent investigation highlighted the vulnerability of keyless systems a decade ago and the car industry was informed.
"Whenever there is a vulnerability in software, a patch should be created – but this has never been done."
A spokesperson for PSA group, the parent company of DS, said it had a "dedicated division" to test the security of vehicle security.