Fiat Ducato driver texted if thief breaks into van

Drivers of the new Ducato and all-electric E-Ducato will receive a text if a thief is trying to break into their van.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently revealed that 92,929 vehicles are stolen in England and Wales every year – 255 a day or nearly two every 12 minutes on average. The new feature, says Fiat, aims to give owners added peace of mind.

Richard Chamberlain, managing director of Fiat Professional, said: “Knowing a vehicle is stolen roughly every 10 minutes in England and Wales is a cause for concern and an experience that owners will be looking to avoid at all costs.

“The innovative theft assistance technology will undoubtedly give both current and future owners of the Ducato and E-Ducato peace of mind that their van and possessions are in the safest possible hands.”

Fiat Professional’s Theft Assistance detects when someone is trying to break into a vehicle, tow it without authorisation or disconnect the battery. If any of these are detected, the owner receives assistance from a ‘My Assistant’ operator.

Customers also have the option of receiving an email, a push notification in the Mopar connected mobile app or a phone call.

Having reported the theft, the operator will provide the GPS coordinates and will immobilise the engine when the vehicle stops to facilitate recovery.

Much like the ‘Find My Phone’ feature available on most smartphones, a vehicle tracking function will be triggered and the vehicle’s ignition locked.