BYD NZ says Land Rover court case won’t hold up Ti 7

BYD New Zealand doesn’t expect a legal fight with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in Europe to delay the local arrival of its Ti 7 seven-seat SUV.

JLR has taken legal action against BYD in the Netherlands, alleging the Ti 7 infringes the intellectual property of the Land Rover Defender. Asked whether the case would delay the Ti 7’s arrival here, BYD New Zealand general manager Warren Willmot says: “Not as far as we have been advised.”

The Ti 7 is due in New Zealand in 2027. When we first reported its arrival in August, Willmot said: “It’s in our product pipeline for 2027. We are still to confirm arrival dates and final spec for the NZ market, but yes, it’s one of the 15 plus models coming in the next 18 months.”

The case

According to UK newspaper The Sunday Times, bailiffs acting for JLR under a court order raided BYD’s Dutch offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp in August and seized digital records. The paper reported that JLR suspects BYD reverse-engineered technology that could be used in the Ti 7. It said JLR wanted the records secured before they could be destroyed.

A court in The Hague is due to hear the case this week to decide whether BYD has a case to answer.

The Telegraph reported that the two sides appeared in court in The Hague last month over how the seized records could be used, and that BYD described the seizure as a “fishing expedition”. The paper said the Dutch court was expected to rule on procedural matters this week, including whether the case can proceed and which records JLR may use. It said JLR wants evidence that BYD set out to copy the Defender’s design, rather than simply building a car that looks similar.

The Telegraph also reported that JLR is seeking to keep the Ti 7 off the European market, but that the case will not be resolved before the car goes on sale in the UK in January.

A JLR spokesman says the company does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. BYD’s global and European operations also declined to comment.

The Ti 7

The Ti 7 is a boxy seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV. It has been sold in China since 2025 as the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7, where it rides on a unibody platform rather than the ladder frames used by the Denza B5 and B8. New Zealand pricing, grades and specification are yet to be confirmed.

The UK right-hand-drive car is the closest guide to what we’ll get. It uses BYD’s DM-p plug-in hybrid system, which pairs an electric motor on each axle with a longitudinally mounted 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine that mainly acts as a generator. Combined output is 300kW, with 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds and a 190km/h top speed. A 35.6kWh Blade battery gives up to 119km of electric range. BYD says those figures are still subject to final confirmation.

The Ti 7 is 5146mm long, 1995mm wide and 1865mm tall, and rides on a 3000mm wheelbase. Boot space runs from 126 litres with all three rows up to 970 litres with the third row folded.

UK buyers get a single Excellence AWD specification at £47,995. The seven-seat Defender 110 starts at £68,465 there.

We took a look around the Chinese-market Ti 7 in the video below.

Not the first time

JLR has taken on a Chinese carmaker over design before. In 2016 it sued Jiangling Motors in Beijing, claiming the Landwind X7 was a copy of the Range Rover Evoque. In March 2019, the Beijing Chaoyang District Court found that the X7 copied five unique design features of the Evoque. It ordered Jiangling to stop making and selling the car and awarded JLR compensation.

At the time, JLR global head of legal Keith Benjamin said: “We welcome this decision of the Beijing court, which further strengthens our confidence in investing in China.”