The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council has called on Australian manufacturers to lift their game in fitting vehicle identification technology.

The security features of more than 70 current model vehicles were rated at a recent council awards ceremony.

Vehicles were ranked by the security of various features, including their entry systems, locks and alarms, the sophistication of their engine immobiliser, and such identification as body stamping, security labelling and micro-dots.

Volkswagen cars were generally judged most secure, with the company’s Polo, Golf, Passat and Tiguan 4WD leading in their categories. Other awards went to the Audi A4, Jaguar XF, and BMW 1 series convertible and 3-series coupe.

There was no award for vehicles in the people-mover and commercial categories, with “gaps” in security features being identified in the big sellers in those classes.

Council Executive Director Ray Carroll says this is disappointing, as the Toyota Landcruiser and Toyota Hilux are “extremely popular” theft targets because of their resale value.

Japanese and local cars fall well behind in security features, which Mr Carroll says is mainly due to Japanese design influences. “Car theft has never been a significant issue in Japan,” he said.

By contrast, the importance of security features for European cars is more important. “You can steal a car in one European country and be in another country in eight hours,” he said.

Mr Carroll believes Australia has a long way to go in terms of vehicle security.

“Raising the importance of crash safety in a car has taken 30 years, so I think that we’re 20 years behind that in raising the importance of security.”