Vehicle thefts were down by 2000 for the March quarter, but before everyone gets too excited, the total of thefts was still an impressive 24,000. And there’s an export trade in stolen vehicles beginning to grow, says the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC).

The NMVTRC says Australia’s top 17 insurers spent more than $66 million in claims for the period and the average vehicle claim cost during the period was $8,150 – a significant drop from the previous quarter’s average of nearly $8,800.

The Hyundai Excel X3 continues to be the most stolen vehicle, with about 1,200 disappearing. Other popular models for thieves include the Holden Commodore VT, VS, VP and VR.

The council says the growing consumer popularity of 4WD and sports cars has led to an illicit export trade in stolen vehicles to the Middle East and Africa. 4WDs also cost insurers the most money with the majority of these claims topping the $20,000 mark.