BAIC B30 vs Hyundai Elantra

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.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Elantra Discontinued model
BAIC B30 in South Africa

BAIC B30

B30 Elite Adventure Petrol 7-Speed DCT Current
ZAR 519,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 138 kW 🔧 305 Nm ⛽ 12.41 km/l
VS
Hyundai Elantra in South Africa

Hyundai Elantra

1.5 IVT Fluid Petrol Discontinued model
ZAR 492,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 85 kW 🔧 143 Nm ⛽ 17.5 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B30 vs Hyundai Elantra: the short answer

B30 and Elantra are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context B30: current from ZAR 519,900 · Elantra: last listed from ZAR 448,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B30 Elantra
Maximum Power B30138 kW Elantra85 kW @ 6300 rpm
Maximum Torque B30305 Nm Elantra143 Nm @ 4500 rpm
Engine Size B301498 cc Elantra1497 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B3012.41 km/l Elantra17.5 km/l
Ground Clearance B30215 mm Elantra130 mm

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

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

BAIC B30

B30 Elite Adventure

Hagalu editorial rating
4.1/5

Desk research · Exact variant

Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.

Read the review and score breakdown

Hyundai Elantra

1.5 IVT Fluid

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

B30

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Published Performance

Elantra

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

B30

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Elantra

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec B30 Elantra
Model Introduced Year 2025 1990
Generation Current first-generation BAIC B30 for South Africa, introduced locally for the 2025 model year with petrol and self-charging HEV derivatives. Seventh generation Elantra on Hyundai's K3 platform; bold parametric design language marks a clear break from the conservative sixth gen
Facelift History The B30 was unveiled locally in August 2025 and launched in November 2025 as the first South African version; no later local facelift has been announced. Seventh generation launched globally in 2020 and brought to SA; significant leap in styling and interior quality over the previous generation
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2020
Facelift Version Ending Current Not confirmed
Body Style Five-door mid-size SUV Sedan
Model Year 2025 Not confirmed
Production Status active discontinued
Segment Mid-size SUV Sedan
Vehicle Type SUV Sedan
Tare Mass Kg - 1355 kg
Spec B30 Elantra
Length 4730 mm 4680 mm
Width 1910 mm 1825 mm
Height 1790 mm 1415 mm
Wheelbase 2820 mm 2720 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 215 mm 130 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 60 l 47 l
Boot/Cargo Space Not Officially Disclosed 473 l
Kerb Weight 1575 kg 1355 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2034 kg 1860 kg
Payload Capacity 459 kg 505 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 4 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Front Headroom Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Headroom Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Front Legroom Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Legroom Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed

In depth: how these cars differ

This B30 and Elantra 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: B30 59 vs Elantra 36.

Efficiency index: B30 51 vs Elantra 67.

Safety-equipment index: B30 92 vs Elantra 84.

Practicality index: B30 61 vs Elantra 61.

Ownership-cover index: B30 not separately scored vs Elantra 65.

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

B30 leads by 4 points

B30 and Elantra are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 66 /100
Lead 4 points
Data 70% source coverage
66
#1 Evidence leader

B30

70% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Efficiency 51
Performance 59
Efficiency 51
Safety 92
Practicality 61
Leads by 4 points
62
#2

Elantra

93% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 84 Check Performance 36
Performance 36
Efficiency 67
Safety 84
Practicality 61
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance B30 +23 Efficiency Elantra +16 Safety B30 +8 Practicality Level

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

B30

Performance 59/100
Efficiency 51/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 61/100

Elantra

Performance 36/100
Efficiency 67/100
Safety 84/100
Practicality 61/100
Ownership 65/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BAIC B30 leads the specification evidence index with 66 pts vs 62 pts for Elantra

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, B30 leads. However, Elantra may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

B30 vs Elantra 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.