BAIC B40 Plus vs Omoda C9 SHS

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
Omoda C9 SHS in South Africa

Omoda C9 SHS

C9 SHS AWD Plug-in Hybrid 3-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 999,900 ex-showroom
⛽ 71.4 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Omoda C9 SHS: the short answer

C9 SHS has a large lead in Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index over B40 Plus.

B40 Plus starts ZAR 300,400 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · C9 SHS from ZAR 999,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus C9 SHS
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm C9 SHSNot Officially Disclosed
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm C9 SHSNot Officially Disclosed
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc C9 SHS1500 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l C9 SHS71.4 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm C9 SHS165 mm

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

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

B40 Plus

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use
Specification evidence leader

C9 SHS

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

B40 Plus

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

C9 SHS

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec B40 Plus C9 SHS
Model Introduced Year 2021 2025
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 Africa C9 SHS range
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 South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2025
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV SUV
Model Year 2021 2026
Production Status active active
Segment Off-road SUV SUV
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg - Not Available
Spec B40 Plus C9 SHS
Length 4630 mm 4775 mm
Width 1925 mm 1920 mm
Height 1871 mm 1671 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2800 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 165 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm 140 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 70 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 660 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 2195 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 2717 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 522 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1500 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 1005 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 970 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1070 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 960 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and C9 SHS 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 C9 SHS 92.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs C9 SHS 96.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs C9 SHS 94.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs C9 SHS 69.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs C9 SHS 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

C9 SHS leads by 26 points

C9 SHS has a large lead in Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index over B40 Plus.

Evidence leader 87 /100
Lead 26 points
Data 55% source coverage
87
#1 Evidence leader

C9 SHS

55% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 96 Check Practicality 69
Performance 92
Efficiency 96
Safety 94
Practicality 69
Leads by 26 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 C9 SHS +21 Efficiency C9 SHS +55 Safety C9 SHS +37 Practicality C9 SHS +2

Large difference in the source-backed catalogue index.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

C9 SHS

Performance 92/100
Efficiency 96/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 69/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Omoda C9 SHS leads the specification evidence index with 87 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, C9 SHS leads. However, B40 Plus may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

B40 Plus vs C9 SHS 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.