JLR raids BYD offices in the Netherlands amid dispute over Ti7 SUV design
Land Rover owner JLR has had bailiffs search BYD's Dutch offices as part of a legal dispute alleging that the Chinese maker reverse-engineered the Defender for its Ti7 model.
Court-ordered bailiffs acting for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) conducted a raid on BYD's offices in the Netherlands in August, according to reports in The Times. The search is part of an ongoing legal dispute in which JLR alleges that BYD dismantled a Land Rover Defender to obtain technical details for its upcoming Ti7 seven-seat SUV.
The Ti7, described by some observers as a "Chinese Defender clone," is slated for a UK launch in January 2027 with a starting price of £47,995 for a plug-in hybrid version. By comparison, a seven-seat Defender 110 costs more than £20,000 above that price and is only available with a hybrid powertrain in a six-seat configuration.
"JLR does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings," a JLR spokesperson said.
JLR also maintains a joint venture with Chinese automaker Chery, which previously produced Jaguars, the Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Discovery Sport in China. The partnership now grants Chery rights to revive the Freelander nameplate as its own brand, with an eight-seater SUV planned for future European and UK markets.