Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has taken legal action against BYD over allegations that the Chinese carmaker copied elements of the Land Rover Defender when developing its Ti7 plug-in hybrid SUV.
According to The Sunday Times, court-appointed bailiffs acting on behalf of JLR seized digital records from BYD’s offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp, Netherlands, in August.
JLR reportedly suspects BYD dismantled a Defender to study and reverse-engineer some of its technology for use in the Ti7.
The British carmaker sought to preserve potential evidence through the court-authorised searches.
BYD’s lawyers challenged the scope of the operation, arguing that too many files had been seized. JLR’s legal representatives, meanwhile, accused BYD of obstructing the process.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov 11 in The Hague, where the court is expected to consider procedural issues surrounding the dispute.
Neither manufacturer has addressed the allegations publicly.
The Ti7, sold in China under BYD’s Fangchengbao brand since September 2025, has attracted comparisons with the Defender because of its upright bodywork and boxy proportions.
The seven-seat SUV combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors, producing a combined 408 PS.
BYD has confirmed a UK starting price of £47,995 (RM262,000) for the PHEV, with customer deliveries scheduled for January 2027.
The dispute comes ahead of the Ti7’s entry into the British market, where it would compete with established premium SUVs, including the Defender.
