Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is pursuing a court case against Chinese electric carmaker BYD, alleging that the company reverse-engineered parts of the Land Rover Defender for use in its Ti7 SUV. The dispute, first reported by The Sunday Times, centres on claims of intellectual property infringement and is due to be heard in The Hague this week.
According to the reporting, bailiffs carried out raids on BYD offices in Hoofddorp and Schiedam in the Netherlands in August, acting under a court authorisation obtained on JLR's behalf. The bailiffs reportedly seized digital data during the operations. The raids indicate that JLR sought to secure evidence before the matter reached a full hearing, a step that allowed the company to examine material held by BYD before the case is argued in court.
The commercial gap between the two vehicles is considerable. The BYD Ti7 is priced at around €57,500 in the UK, while the Land Rover Defender costs at least about €82,000. The price difference places the two models at different ends of the market, yet JLR's complaint concentrates on the engineering behind the Ti7 rather than on pricing, with the company arguing that specific Defender components were copied rather than independently developed.
The case is not the first time JLR has challenged a Chinese manufacturer over design similarities. In 2019, the company won a case against Jiangling, whose Landwind X7 had drawn comparisons to the Range Rover Evoque. That earlier ruling gives JLR a precedent in the field of automotive design disputes, and it suggests the company is prepared to take such claims through the courts rather than settle them informally.
The dispute also highlights a wider pattern in which several Chinese SUVs have been noted for resemblances to established European and British models. Examples cited in the reporting include vehicles from Geely, Jetour, Great Wall, BAIC and iCaur. Such comparisons have become a recurring point of debate as Chinese brands expand their presence in Europe, where they compete directly with long-established manufacturers on both price and styling.
BYD's sister brands, Denza and Yangwang, also sell models in Europe, meaning that any outcome in the Dutch proceedings could have implications beyond the Ti7 itself. Should the court find in JLR's favour, the ruling could affect how the wider group approaches product development and the sourcing of components. The Hague hearing will be watched closely by the wider automotive industry as manufacturers weigh how best to protect their designs in an increasingly competitive market.