Heavy accusation from Land Rover to its Chinese rival: 'Copy vehicle' raid on BYD offices

JLR suspects BYD of "reverse engineering" the Ti 7 model by disassembling a Land Rover Defender. BYD lawyers objected to the scope of the seizure decision and described this move as a "fishing expedition".

While there is no final decision regarding intellectual property violation yet, the preliminary hearing of the case will be held in The Hague on November 11. Both brands refrain from making an official statement about the ongoing legal process.

BYD TI 7 PRICES ANNOUNCED

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of Ti 7 is priced between 179,800 and 219,800 yuan (approximately 1 million 354 thousand TL - 1 million 655 thousand TL) in China, and the full electric (EV) version, which offers a range of 755 km according to CLTC standards, will be available in April 2026 in the range of 199,800 to 239,800 yuan. (1 million 504 thousand TL - 1 million 806 thousand TL) was offered for sale.

Despite the allegations against it, BYD has opened pre-orders for the Ti 7 model in the UK. While the starting price of the seven-seat Land Rover Defender 110 model in the UK market is £ 68,465, the BYD Ti 7 is offered for sale with a very competitive tag of £ 47,995.

While the sales price of BYD Ti 7 corresponds to 3 million 229 thousand 583 TL in TL, there is a difference of 1 million 377 thousand 426 TL between it and Land Rover Defender 110.