Rides : New security features for the 2012 Cadillac Escalade

General Motors has just announced that the 2012 Cadillac Escalade will come with new security features to combat thieves who have pushed and towed the segment-leading luxury SUV to the top of annual most-stolen vehicle lists.

The GM vehicle that is already protected against typical drive-away grand theft auto through existing security features and standard OnStar security technologies will be offered with a new sophisticated encryption system for the key, a more-robust steering column-lock system and an inclination sensor that sets off an alarm.
In addition the 2012 Escalade will have installed as standard an shock sensor intended to reduce content theft and push-away theft by sounding the alarm when the vehicle is “shocked,”.

“These types of innovative theft prevention technologies are a significant step in helping to reduce vehicle thefts,” said Joe Wehrle, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Of four versions of the Escalade — all of which were frequent theft targets — the Escalade EXT, which has a pickup bed, was the most frequent target.
Thieves steal (or steal from) about 10 of every thousand Escalades on the road.
You would think that Escalades, luxury S.U.V.’s with their high-end antitheft devices and alarms would not rank so highly.
However according to Mr. Hazelbaker, senior vice president at Highway Loss Data Institute “even though Escalades have the latest immobilizer technology, thieves still can put the them on flatbeds and haul them away.”