Suzuki Across vs BAIC B40 Plus

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Suzuki Across in South Africa

Suzuki Across

1.5 GLX 6AT Petrol Mild Hybrid 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 464,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 76 kW 🔧 137 Nm ⛽ 18.9 km/l
VS
BAIC B40 Plus in South Africa

BAIC B40 Plus

Honor Edition Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 699,500 ex-showroom
⚡ 165 kW 🔧 380 Nm ⛽ 9.0 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Suzuki Across vs BAIC B40 Plus: the short answer

Across and B40 Plus are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Across starts ZAR 349,600 cheaper Across from ZAR 349,900 · B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Across B40 Plus
Maximum Power Across75.8 kW @ 6000 rpm B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque Across136.8 Nm @ 4400 rpm B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm
Engine Size Across1462 cc B40 Plus1998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Across18.9 km/l B40 Plus9.0 km/l
Ground Clearance Across210 mm B40 Plus210 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Across

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

B40 Plus

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Across

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

B40 Plus

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Across B40 Plus
Model Introduced Year 2026 2021
Generation First South African generation of the current Across Current B40 Plus Honor Edition within the locally served first B40 Plus generation, using body-on-frame construction and an electronic part-time 4WD system.
Facelift History All-new March 2026 South African launch model; no facelift yet The B40 Plus launched in South Africa in October 2021. The current Honor Edition debuted locally in May 2025, adding electric seat adjustment and a sunroof to the City Hunter-based specification; BAIC now presents it as the sole current B40 Plus derivative.
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2025
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door compact SUV Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV
Model Year 2026 2021
Production Status active active
Segment C-segment family SUV Off-road SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1200-1250 kg -
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Spec Across B40 Plus
Length 4360 mm 4630 mm
Width 1795 mm 1925 mm
Height 1655 mm 1871 mm
Wheelbase 2600 mm 2745 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 210 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed 190 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 45 l 75 l
Boot/Cargo Space 333 l 532 l
Kerb Weight Not Officially Disclosed 2110 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Not Officially Disclosed 2535 kg
Payload Capacity 460 kg 425 kg
Towing Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 1500 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.4 m Not Officially Disclosed
Front Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 1010 mm
Rear Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 1000 mm
Front Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 1045 mm
Rear Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 900 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Across and B40 Plus comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Across 34 vs B40 Plus 71.

Efficiency index: Across 76 vs B40 Plus 41.

Safety-equipment index: Across 91 vs B40 Plus 57.

Practicality index: Across 62 vs B40 Plus 67.

Ownership-cover index: Across not separately scored vs B40 Plus 62.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Across leads by 3 points

Across and B40 Plus are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 64 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 73% source coverage
64
#1 Evidence leader

Across

73% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 76
Safety 91
Practicality 62
Leads by 3 points
61
#2

B40 Plus

92% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Performance 71 Check Efficiency 41
Performance 71
Efficiency 41
Safety 57
Practicality 67
Ownership 62
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance B40 Plus +37 Efficiency Across +35 Safety Across +34 Practicality B40 Plus +5

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Across

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 76/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 62/100

B40 Plus

Performance 71/100
Efficiency 41/100
Safety 57/100
Practicality 67/100
Ownership 62/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Suzuki Across leads the specification evidence index with 64 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Across leads. However, B40 Plus may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Across vs B40 Plus questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.