When contacted by Auto Express, JLR said that it “does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings”. A BYD UK spokesperson declined to comment for the same reason.

JLR is no stranger to having Chinese brands bring out models that resemble its own. Infamously, the LandWind X7 looked so much like the Range Rover Evoque that JLR won a legal action against its makers. 

More recently, we’ve observed that JLR’s products appear to be a frequent source of ‘inspiration’ for Chinese carmakers. Many Land Rover Defender-esque vehicles are on sale in China, while the hugely popular Jaecoo 7, for instance, has become known colloquially as the ‘Temu Range Rover’ in the UK.

As for the BYD Ti7, Land Rover Defender comparisons have been widespread since it was confirmed the SUV would be coming to the UK market. At five metres in length, it’s a similar size to the Land Rover Defender 110, but with an expected price tag of around £50,000, it’s set to undercut the cheapest 110 by around £20,000.

It doesn’t have anything quite as exotic as the Defender’s available six-cylinder and V8 engines under the bonnet, though. Power comes from the common Chinese car arrangement of a 1.5-litre petrol engine forming part of a plug-in hybrid setup.

A fully-electric version of the BYD Ti7 has been announced in China, but we don’t yet know if it’ll make it to the UK. While attempting to defend its intellectual property in court against BYD, Jaguar Land Rover has entered into a joint venture with rival Chinese automotive giant, Chery. The resulting Freelander 8 SUV will be sold in the UK.