New BYD Ti7 offers PHEV power for £25k less than a Land Rover Defender
High-end seven-seat SUV is available to order now, with UK deliveries starting in January 2027
The big, bold and brutish new BYD Ti7 is on sale now, with prices for the plug-in hybrid SUV starting from £47,995 – around £25,000 less than the PHEV version of its chief rival (and main inspiration), the Land Rover Defender.
The five-metre long seven-seater also undercuts numerous other premium SUVs, including the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5, even though they’re smaller and don’t feature plug-in power as standard.
The Ti7 is powered by the Chinese giant’s new performance-focused ‘DM-p’ plug-in-hybrid system. It consists of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors that deliver all-wheel drive and a combined 402bhp – enough to hurl this 2.4-tonne towerblock from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds.
The petrol engine is mostly used to generate energy for the e-motors and a 35.6kWh Blade Battery that can deliver up to 74 miles of pure-electric driving, roughly three times what the plug-in Defender is capable of.
Just like the new age Defender, the Ti7 is built on a unibody-style construction, rather than the more rugged body-on-frame of rivals such as the Toyota Land Cruiser. This set-up is beneficial in terms of interior space and driving refinement, so although the Ti7 looks like an off-roader, it shouldn’t drive like one.
The Ti7 is available in just one specification, Excellence, which comes with a generous array of equipment including 20-inch rims, privacy glass, leather upholstery, a 15.6-inch touchscreen and 10.25-inch instrument display. There’s also an 18-speaker sound system, dual wireless charging pads, heated and ventilated front and middle-row seats, three-zone climate control and even a fridge/drinks warmer in the centre console.
Every model features a seven-seat layout and with all of them in place, the Ti7 offers 126 litres of luggage space. With the rearmost row folded away, the capacity increases to 970 litres.
The Ti7 has already launched in other markets, but it’s not sold under the BYD badge. Instead, in its native China it’s actually sold as a model from sister brand Fangchengbao, which is an upmarket rival to the likes of Land Rover and Volvo. This means that despite wearing a BYD badge here, it should arrive with superior quality and more features than we’ve previously seen from the Chinese outfit’s other, more value-focused offerings.
This ambition is evident in its design, which doesn’t hide behind its desire to attract Defender customers. Its blocky upright stance, contrasting black bumpers and floating roof all draw from the same playbook – look closely and the silver inserts on the bumpers and body-coloured panels on the rear glass might actually sit too close for comfort.
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