BYD is bringing the noise. A new seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV is landing in the UK later this year, and it’s aiming straight at the Land Rover Defender’s jugular.
Built for Battle, Styled for the City
It’s called the Ti7. Sized right between the Defender 110 and the monstrous 130.
This isn’t just another city slicker in camo. The design shouts 4×4. Blunt edges. Boxy silhouettes. A spare wheel hanging off the back like a statement piece. It looks like a Land Cruiser’s more aggressive cousin. But there’s a twist in the engineering that separates it from the true off-roaders in its own family tree.
Under the Skin: Power, Not Just Range
Meet the ‘DM-p’. It’s BYD’s new performance-oriented powertrain, and the Ti7 will be its debut vehicle for UK buyers.
The setup?
– A turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine
– Two electric motors (one on each axle for that AWD bite)
– A 35.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery
BYD claims it sprints from 0 to 62mph in just 4.8 seconds. That’s fast for something this big. The official electric-only range sits at a respectable 79 miles. Enough to get through a heavy commute without touching petrol, maybe.
The Identity Crisis
Here’s the weird part. In China, this car is sold under the Fangchengbao badge—BYD’s youth-focused, premium arm. You’ll also find its sibling there: the Denza B5.
The B5 is coming to the UK too. But it keeps its Denza label. The Ti7 gets the plain-old BYD badge instead.
Why?
A spokesperson explained that the B5 uses a body-on-frame construction—it’s a real off-roader at heart. The Ti7? It rides on a monocoque chassis. It looks rugged, yes, but it’s built for people who like the idea of going off-road rather than actually doing it.
Styling is easy. Capability is the question.
Charging Hopes
In its home market, you can get a fully electric version of the Ti7 that works with BYD’s Flash chargers. These beasts push up to 1,500kW.
BYD is planning to build a network of 300 of these super-chargers across the UK this year, primarily to support the launch of their Denza Z9 GT sports car.
Will the electric Ti7 join them here? No word yet. The UK model confirmed so far is strictly hybrid. The BEV variant might stay in Asia, or it might follow if the chargers prove popular enough. It’s a gamble.
Price Tag
Details are still fuzzy. BYD will announce pricing in the coming weeks.
Expect it to sit above the Sealion 7. Since that electric SUV tops out at £59,502 (actually £59,026 in some trims), the Ti7 as a flagship will likely push past the £60k barrier.
Is a seven-seater that drives like a performance coupe and looks like a tank worth six figures?
Only time—and the final spec sheet—will tell. The Defender won’t give up its title easily, but the fight is on.
