Updated 12 November 2026, 22:30: the Hague court has ruled on the seized files. See “The ruling” below.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has taken legal action against BYD in the Netherlands, alleging that the BYD Ti 7, a boxy seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV that arrives in UK showrooms soon, copies elements of the Land Rover Defender. The dispute was reported by The Sunday Times and The Guardian over the weekend of 8 November, and has since been covered by UK and Chinese motoring outlets.

No court has found that BYD infringed anything. The first ruling, on 11 November, went BYD’s way, but it was about evidence, not about whether the Ti 7 copies the Defender.

The ruling

At a preliminary hearing on Wednesday 11 November, a judge at the District Court of The Hague overturned the August seizure of BYD’s records, according to CarNewsChina and Motor1. Both report that JLR must:

  • tell the bailiff or the court-appointed custodian to destroy the seized files within 24 hours of the ruling being formally served, or pay €50,000 for every hour it is late, up to €500,000
  • not use the original seizure order to take any further action

Motor1 adds that the court turned down JLR’s request for a further surprise inspection of BYD’s files.

The judge’s reasons, as both outlets report them, were that JLR did not need the files to argue that the Ti 7’s exterior copies the Defender, and did not need them to work out damages, because BYD has not yet sold the Ti 7 in the EU. BYD had argued that the seizure went too far and took in research and development material unrelated to the Ti 7.

The judge said the ruling does not decide whether the Ti 7 infringes JLR’s intellectual property. CarNewsChina reports that JLR has started separate urgent proceedings in Rotterdam and The Hague, covering EU design rights, copyright and “slavish imitation” (a Dutch legal term for copying a product too closely). The ruling takes effect immediately, even if JLR appeals.

Neither company has commented publicly on the ruling in the reports we have seen.

How the case started

According to The Times, as reported by Auto Express, court-ordered bailiffs acting for JLR entered two BYD offices in the Netherlands, in Schiedam and Hoofddorp, in August 2026. Their task was to secure digital files before they could be destroyed.

JLR’s case, as described in those reports, is that BYD took a Defender apart during the Ti 7’s development and used what it learned in the new car. CarNewsChina, citing The Guardian, says JLR alleges the Ti 7 breaches intellectual property rights connected with the Defender, and that BYD’s lawyers described the seizure as a “fishing expedition”.

Before the ruling, Auto Express reported that JLR and BYD UK both declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.

The cars involved

In UK form the Ti 7 has seven seats; the Chinese-market car has five. It pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors and a 35.6kWh battery, and is priced from £47,995. UK orders are open, with the first cars due in showrooms this month and customer deliveries from January 2027.

The comparison with the Defender is mostly about shape and price. CarNewsChina lists the seven-seat Defender 110 at £68,465, about £20,500 more than the Ti 7.

JLR has its own links with Chinese industry: it builds cars in China through a joint venture with Chery, which is also bringing the Defender-like iCaur V27 to the UK in 2027 (our earlier story).

What it means for UK buyers

For now, nothing changes. The Ti 7 remains on sale, no court has made an order affecting UK sales or deliveries, and no infringement has been found. The ruling was a Dutch decision about evidence; the claims about the Ti 7’s design are being argued separately, and cases like this can take months or years.

If you have ordered a Ti 7, deliveries are still due from January 2027. We will report the outcome of the design proceedings, and any change to UK sales or deliveries, when it is confirmed by BYD, JLR or a court.