The original Land Rover Defender has become a quintessential symbol of British ruggedness. For decades, the ultimate mud-buster has conquered everything from the Scottish Highlands to the school run.

Robust and virtually unstoppable, Defender has seen off challenges from Japanese, Korean and American competitors – none quite able to match the Land Rover’s unique heritage and all-round desirability. Until now, perhaps, because a new wave of automotive invaders has landed on British shores and they are all Defender doppelgangers.

The middle-class’ must-have 4×4 remains a clear market leader but Land Rover’s ubiquitous Waitrose-wagon is coming under increased pressure from the Far East. Boxy, unapologetically brutalist and packed with cutting-edge tech, China’s premium off-roaders are flooding in, with the Defender squarely in their sights.

While traditionalists might scoff at the imitation, British buyers facing a cost-of-living crisis are taking notice. The Jaecoo 7 has proved motorists have no issue buying Chinese, if the price is right. The Range Rover-styled 7 is currently the second best-selling car in the UK this year.

So, is Land Rover really facing a last-ditch battle to save its iconic model? Leading the charge is the Yangwang U8. The ultra-luxury sub-brand of automotive giant BYD, YangWang’s towering plug-in hybrid was created by former Lamborghini designer, Wolfgang Egger, and looks like a Defender that went to a cyberpunk gym. The 3.4-ton U8 doesn’t just mirror the iconic silhouette of a Defender, it also offers a unique party trick.

Like the Mercedes G 580, the YangWang uses four independent electric motors to perform 360-degree tank turns on the spot. It can also float on water during a flash flood. Priced from £120,000, the U8 is a rarity in that it actually costs more than the average Land Rover. However, there are plenty of cut-price challengers.

The BYD Ti7 doesn’t just ape a Defender – it could be a sibling. With a boxy frame, the seven-seater has brick-shaped aesthetics and starts at under £48,000. The cheapest Land Rover five-door model is £64,000. Debuting BYD’s DM-p plug-in hybrid system, the Ti7 offers a massive 408bhp and a sports-car-like 0-62mph dash in 4.8 seconds. Expect a class-leading 74-mile EV range too.

Another BYD offering is the Denza Boa 5, also designed by Wolfgang Egger. Loaded with luxury and tech, the 5 sits on an old-school, ladder frame chassis yet, thanks to a hybrid drivetrain, can manage 537bhp. A more serious off-roader than some Chinese rivals, the range starts at £69,000.

Jetour is a sub-brand of Chery Automotive and the T2 is a mid-size SUV expected on UK shores in 2027. While diesel continues to fall out of favour, this 1.5-litre turbodiesel is expected to cost as little as £41,000. Shaped by ex-Porsche designer, Hakan Saracoglu, the Jetour T2 has undoubted kerbside appeal.

Another choice Chery is iCAUR V27, a brazen Defender double with a punchy hybrid set-up. Due on sale early in 2027 for around £46,000, V27 will launch the iCAUR brand here and a host of new models. Interestingly, the marque is known as iCAR in China but faced a name change abroad to avoid a copyright dispute with Apple.

Sales of the BAIC Xingtan 5X have only just started in China but it must surely be destined for the UK. Designed by Anthony Lo, who trained at the Royal College of Arts before working at Lotus, Saab and Ford, the 5X has a range of powertrain options and is, quite possibly, more Defender than a Defender. There’s also the BAW Beijing BJ212, which went on display at this year’s Paris Motor Show.

Finally, if you can’t beat them, join them. Perhaps realising the writing is on the wall, Jaguar Land Rover has teamed up with Chery to build the Freelander 8. Replaced by Discovery Sport in 2015, the original Freelander fell foul of JLR’s revised model line-up.

While JLR still own the Freelander name and led the new 8’s design, Chery provided the body platform and engineering. Rather than a mid-size SUV, the next generation Freelander is a full-size, luxury six-seater, driven by a massive 808bhp plug-in hybrid engine.

Revealed for the first time at a summit in China last month (OCT), the full-fat Freelander is likely to cost from £40,000 but could prove a conundrum for British drivers. Is it a proper Freelander, is it a Chinese budget buy? As long as it’s better than the original, I doubt few will care.

Jaecoo.co.uk / YangwangAuto.com / BYD.com / Denza.com / JetourGlobal.com / iCAURS.co.uk / Xingtan5x.BeijingAuto.com.cn / BAWauto.com / Freelander-EV.com