BYD offices raided over allegations Ti 7 SUV copied the Land Rover Defender

Two Dutch offices of BYD were raided by court-appointed officers in August 2026 as part of a legal dispute with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The British automaker alleges that the BYD Ti 7 SUV infringes intellectual property rights associated with the Land Rover Defender. The Guardian reported that authorities seized digital records from BYD’s offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp.

JLR reportedly suspects that BYD dismantled a Defender to reverse-engineer some of its technology for the Ti 7. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 11 in Hague. BYD’s lawyers have challenged the scope of the seizure, describing it as a “fishing expedition.” Neither automaker has commented publicly on the ongoing proceedings. No finding of intellectual property infringement has been made. As of press time, BYD didn’t respond to CarNewsChina’s request for comment.

About the BYD Ti 7

The BYD Ti 7 entered the Chinese market in September 2025 under the Fang Cheng Bao brand as Bao 7, later Tai 7. Its design features a boxy body, upright front end, squared wheel arches, and a rear-mounted storage compartment. Its appearance has frequently been compared with the Land Rover Defender.

In China, the Ti 7 measures 4,999 mm long, 1,995 mm wide, and 1,865 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm. The Chinese version has five seats, while the European export version has seven. BYD quotes a length of 5,146 mm for the UK model, including its rear-mounted spare wheel.

In China, the Ti 7 plug-in hybrid originally launched at 179,800 yuan (26,900 USD), with the top trim priced at 219,800 yuan (32,900 USD). The SUV uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine paired with electric motors, with two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations available.

In April 2026, BYD also introduced an all-electric Ti 7 with a maximum CLTC range of 755 km in China. The EV lineup is priced between 199,800 yuan (29,900 USD) and 239,800 yuan (35,900 USD).

BYD Ti 7 coming to Europe

BYD has already opened pre-orders for the Ti 7 in the UK, where it costs 47,995 GBP (64,400 USD), compared with 68,465 GBP for the seven-seat Land Rover Defender 110. The first vehicles are scheduled to arrive in British showrooms in November 2026, with customer deliveries beginning in January 2027.

The UK-specification Ti 7 uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and two electric motors producing a combined 402 hp (300 kW). It has a 35.6 kWh battery and a WLTP electric range of up to 119 km. Unlike the Chinese version, it comes with three rows of seats.

This is not JLR’s first dispute with a Chinese automaker over vehicle design. In 2019, the British company won a legal case against Jiangling Motor Corporation over the Landwind X7, which closely resembled the Range Rover Evoque.

Editor’s comment

JLR executives won’t be happy when they see Geely’s new Lynk & Co 900L, launching on Tuesday.

It is also worth noting that the Tata-owned company completely ignored the Jaecoo 7 (Jaecoo J7) crossover, which is the current best-selling Chinese vehicle in the UK. The Jaecoo 7 is widely known by its nickname “Range Rover from Temu.” However, no allegations have been made by JLR. Probably because the Jaecoo 7 is a Chery-made car. And Jaguar LandRover works closely with this Wuhu-based automaker in China. Their recent project is the Freelander brand.

Here are more pictures of FCB Tai 7 in China: