Land Rover Targets BYD Over Ti7 After Raids on Dutch Offices
Jaguar Land Rover suspects BYD reverse-engineered a Defender for the Ti7. A Dutch court ruling is due Nov. 11, and the SUV reaches Europe in January.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has taken legal action against BYD over the Chinese automaker’s Ti7 SUV, which JLR suspects was developed with help from a dismantled Land Rover Defender. Court-appointed bailiffs seized digital records from two BYD offices in the Netherlands in August, according to reports by The Times and The Guardian.
A Dutch court in The Hague is expected to issue a preliminary ruling on Nov. 11, Motor1 reported. The decision should determine whether BYD has a case to answer over the alleged intellectual property infringement. The Ti7 is due to reach European customers as early as January.
What happened in the August raids
The raids hit BYD premises in Schiedam and Hoofddorp, according to the reports. Bailiffs collected digital records tied to the development of the Ti7. Motor1 reported that JLR wanted to secure the files before they could be destroyed.
The Times reports that JLR suspects BYD engineers took apart a Defender and reverse-engineered it, meaning they studied the finished vehicle to learn how it was built. InsideEVs noted that automakers commonly benchmark rivals’ models. It becomes a problem, the outlet said, if proprietary and protected technology ended up in the production Ti7.
JLR’s position
JLR’s case reportedly centers on the alleged reverse engineering, not only on the Ti7’s boxy exterior, which has drawn comparisons to the Defender. Its legal advisers accused BYD of obstructing the process of collecting the records, Motor1 reported. A JLR spokesperson told Motor1 the company does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
JLR has fought similar cases before. It won a 2019 case against China’s Jiangling Motor Corporation over a vehicle that allegedly copied the Range Rover Evoque. Motor1 said that dispute lasted three years. InsideEVs adds that JLR lost a case against British automaker Ineos.
BYD’s position
BYD’s legal team called the raid a “fishing expedition” and argued that too many files were seized, according to Motor1. The company told the outlet, “We have no comment to make at this time.” Neither company has discussed the case further.
The vehicles and prices
The Ti7 has been on sale in China since September 2025 as the Fangchengbao Ti7. Motor1 describes it as a seven-seat plug-in hybrid. InsideEVs reports a China starting price of under $27,000.
The two outlets give European prices in different currencies. In the UK, the Ti7 starts at £47,995, compared with £68,465 for the seven-seat Defender 110, Motor1 reported. InsideEVs puts European Ti7 pricing at around $64,500, against nearly $92,000 for a comparable seven-seat Defender 110. Motor1 notes the two SUVs have different powertrains and underlying engineering.
Why it matters
The outcome affects how closely Chinese automakers can follow established designs as they enter Europe. Motor1 said Chinese brands are expanding there with increasingly sophisticated vehicles, often at lower prices than rivals. It also noted that Chery’s Jaecoo 7, nicknamed the “Temu Range Rover” for its resemblance to JLR’s luxury SUVs, was the UK’s best-selling car in October with 3,412 units. It has 42,885 registrations so far this year, which makes it the country’s second best-selling model.
The Defender is one of JLR’s most recognizable nameplates, Motor1 said. JLR also has a long-running joint venture with Chery that revived the Freelander name as an electric vehicle brand.
What happens next
The Hague court’s preliminary ruling is expected Nov. 11. It will decide whether JLR’s claims against BYD can move forward. The Ti7 is scheduled to reach UK buyers in January, and InsideEVs reports European deliveries could start as early as that month.
