BYD Ti7 heads to UK as Land Rover fights design-copying claim
BYD launches its Ti7 SUV in the UK for £47,995, undercutting the Defender by £20,000 while JLR claims design infringement.
Chinese carmaker BYD is bringing its seven-seat Ti7 plug-in hybrid to the UK market in January 2027 for £47,995. That's more than £20,000 cheaper than Land Rover's comparable Defender 110, which starts at £68,465.
Design experts have likened the boxy Ti7 to the Defender since it launched in China last September. Now Jaguar Land Rover has taken legal action in the Dutch courts.
The company is accusing BYD of copying its design and copying its technology. Bailiffs acting for JLR reportedly raided BYD's offices in the Netherlands in August.
They seized digital records to save evidence before this week's court hearing in The Hague. JLR has a history of defending its designs against Chinese rivals.
It won a similar copyright case against another Chinese carmaker, Jiangling, in 2019 after three years of court battles. Both companies declined to comment on the ongoing legal case.
- £47,995
- Ti7 UK launch price
- £68,465
- Defender 110 starting price
- 29,500 units
- Defender July-September sales
- The Hague
- Court location
Why it mattersIf BYD wins, it opens the UK market to a significantly cheaper option and signals that Chinese carmakers can beat established designs on price. If JLR wins, it sets a legal precedent protecting vehicle designs across European markets.
AustraliaBYD already competes in Australia's car market. A UK court win for design copying would influence how Australian regulators view similar Chinese imports and may affect pricing and availability of both BYD and Land Rover vehicles locally.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 d ago
