Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reportedly initiated legal action against Chinese automaker BYD over alleged intellectual property infringement involving its Ti7 SUV.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at a court in The Hague, the Netherlands. According to The Times, the court is expected to consider whether JLR’s claims against BYD can proceed. The outcome could determine the next stage of the intellectual property dispute as BYD prepares to introduce the Ti7 to European markets.
According to a report by The Times, court-appointed bailiffs raided two BYD offices in the Netherlands, located in Schiedam and Hoofddorp, in August on behalf of JLR. The searches were reportedly conducted to secure documents and digital records related to the development of the BYD Ti7 before they could potentially be destroyed. JLR allegedly claims that BYD used a Land Rover Defender as a reference for reverse-engineering certain technologies during the development of the Ti7.
The dispute centers on the alleged design and technological similarities between the two SUVs. Both models feature a boxy exterior design and a distinctive square-shaped body element above the beltline. However, JLR’s concerns reportedly extend beyond their visual similarities to the possibility of unauthorized use of its proprietary technology.
Comparisons between the BYD Ti7 and the Land Rover Defender have intensified since the Chinese SUV’s planned entry into the UK market was confirmed. Measuring approximately five meters in length, the Ti7 is comparable in size to the Land Rover Defender 110. Unlike the Defender, which is available with six-cylinder and V8 powertrains, the Ti7 uses a plug-in hybrid system that combines a 1.5-liter petrol engine with an electric drivetrain.
JLR suspects that BYD engineers may have dismantled and studied a Defender during the Ti7’s development process. While competitor vehicle benchmarking is common across the automotive industry, the dispute centers on allegations that proprietary or protected technologies may have been incorporated into the production model.
The price difference is also notable in the European market. The BYD Ti7 is expected to start at approximately $64,500, compared with nearly $92,000 for the comparable seven-seat Land Rover Defender 110. The Ti7’s lower expected price could make it a competitive alternative as BYD prepares to expand its presence in Europe.
BYD has also announced a fully electric version of the Ti7 for the Chinese market. Meanwhile, JLR is pursuing a separate partnership with Chinese automaker Chery to develop the Freelander 8 SUV, which is expected to be introduced in the UK market.
JLR has previously been involved in a legal dispute over the design of another vehicle resembling the Defender. The case concerned the Ineos Grenadier, which was cleared for sale in 2020 despite its substantial visual similarities to the original Land Rover Defender.
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