BAIC B40 Plus vs Dongfeng BOX

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.

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
VS
Dongfeng BOX in South Africa

Dongfeng BOX

BOX E3 430 Electric Single-Speed Reduction Gear Current
ZAR 449,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 70 kW 🔧 160 Nm ⛽ 0 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Dongfeng BOX: the short answer

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

BOX starts ZAR 299,600 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · BOX from ZAR 399,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus BOX
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm BOX70 kW
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm BOX160 Nm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc BOXNot Applicable
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l BOX0 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm BOX0 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 B40 Plus

Honor Edition

Hagalu editorial rating
4.0/5

Desk research · Exact variant

Hagalu Editorial Team ·

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

Read the review and score breakdown

Dongfeng BOX

BOX E3 430

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

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

BOX

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

Which One's Right for You?

B40 Plus

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

BOX

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

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec B40 Plus BOX
Model Introduced Year 2021 2026
Generation 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. Current South African generation
Facelift History 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. Current launch specification
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2026
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV Hatchback
Model Year 2021 2026
Production Status active Active
Segment Off-road SUV Electric city hatchback
Vehicle Type SUV Hatchback
Spec B40 Plus BOX
Length 4630 mm 4020 mm
Width 1925 mm 1810 mm
Height 1871 mm 1570 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2663 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 0 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm 140 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 0 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 326 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1370 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 1820 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 450 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 750 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 5.8 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 1000 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 950 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1050 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 900 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and BOX 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: B40 Plus 71 vs BOX 36.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs BOX 90.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs BOX 70.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs BOX 47.

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

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

B40 Plus leads by 3 points

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

Evidence leader 61 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 92% source coverage
61
#1 Evidence leader

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
Leads by 3 points
58
#2

BOX

64% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 90 Check Performance 36
Performance 36
Efficiency 90
Safety 70
Practicality 47
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance B40 Plus +35 Efficiency BOX +49 Safety BOX +13 Practicality B40 Plus +20

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

B40 Plus

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

BOX

Performance 36/100
Efficiency 90/100
Safety 70/100
Practicality 47/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BAIC B40 Plus leads the specification evidence index with 61 pts vs 58 pts for BOX

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

Related comparisons

Continue with closely related South Africa models and comparable body styles.

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BOX vs DOLPHIN →

B40 Plus vs BOX 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.