Jaguar Land Rover accuses BYD of copying the Defender
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched legal proceedings against Chinese automotive giant BYD over the possible copying of the Land Rover Defender’s design and technology. Dutch bailiffs searched two BYD offices in August and seized digital documents. The dispute centres on the BYD Ti7, which is due to enter the European market soon and costs nearly €24,000 less than a comparable Defender.
Bailiffs searched two offices for evidence
According to British newspaper The Times, bailiffs searched BYD’s Dutch offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp in August 2026 at JLR’s request.
JLR suspects that BYD may have used technical solutions obtained by dismantling and reverse-engineering the Defender when developing the Ti7. With court authorisation, bailiffs collected digital documents to prevent the destruction of potential evidence.
BYD’s lawyers are challenging the scope of the operation, arguing that the data collection was unjustifiably broad. JLR, in turn, accuses its competitor of obstructing the proceedings.
It is important to stress that the court has not found BYD guilty. A search does not prove intellectual property infringement, and examining a competitor’s car from a technical perspective is not in itself illegal.
A court in The Hague will hear the dispute on 11 November. Both carmakers have declined to comment publicly on the ongoing proceedings.
BYD Ti7 offers a Defender-sized vehicle at a much lower price
Known in China under the Fang Cheng Bao name, the Ti7 is a five-seat SUV measuring 4,999 mm in length, with a 2,920 mm wheelbase. BYD is preparing a seven-seat version for Europe.
The UK market will get a plug-in hybrid with a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine and two electric motors, delivering a combined output of up to 300 kW. A 35.6 kWh battery provides up to 119 km of electric driving range under WLTP testing.
The Ti7 starts at £47,995 in the UK, equivalent to approximately €55,000. A seven-seat Defender 110 costs at least £68,465, or around €79,000.
BYD will begin customer deliveries in January 2027.
Similar looks do not automatically mean copying
The similarities between the Ti7 and the Defender are visible. Both have boxy bodies, upright front ends, muscular wheel arches and proportions typical of off-road vehicles.
But no single carmaker has a monopoly on boxy bodywork. JLR must show which specific protected design elements or technical solutions BYD allegedly used.
The British manufacturer has experience of similar disputes. In 2019, JLR won a case in China against Jiangling Motor Corporation because the Landwind X7 copied protected design elements of the Range Rover Evoque.
By contrast, JLR was unsuccessful in its design dispute over the Ineos Grenadier. This shows how difficult it is to draw the line between similar styling and intellectual property infringement.
The battle in Europe is about more than design
The BYD Ti7 poses a commercial challenge to JLR regardless of the legal dispute. The Chinese manufacturer offers a plug-in hybrid with a long driving range, extensive equipment and a seven-seat cabin at a much lower price.
The Defender’s strengths remain its established reputation as an off-roader, broad model range and proven off-road capability. BYD, by contrast, has yet to show how the Ti7 holds up in European conditions.
An interesting aspect of the dispute is that JLR itself works with Chinese group Chery, with which it is developing Freelander models. The issue, therefore, is not the use of Chinese technology, but who owns specific design and technical solutions.
The outcome of the case could affect much more than sales of a single SUV. If JLR can prove that protected technology or design has been copied, it could complicate the Ti7’s European launch. If the allegations are not substantiated, BYD can continue its existing strategy: offering a vehicle comparable to those of European luxury brands at a significantly lower price.
