BAIC B40 Plus vs Honda CR-V

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
Honda CR-V in South Africa

Honda CR-V

2.0 Hybrid e:HEV Hybrid e-CVT Current
ZAR 819,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 204 kW 🔧 335 Nm ⛽ 20 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Honda CR-V: the short answer

CR-V holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over B40 Plus.

CR-V starts ZAR 9,600 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · CR-V from ZAR 689,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus CR-V
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm CR-V204 kW
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm CR-V335 Nm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc CR-V1993 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l CR-V20 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm CR-V198 mm

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

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

B40 Plus

Strengths
  • Stronger published practicality figures
  • Stronger published ownership cover
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

CR-V

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower published practicality figures
  • Lower published ownership cover
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

B40 Plus

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published warranty or service cover

CR-V

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • 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 CR-V
Model Introduced Year 2021 2023
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. Built on Honda’s global SUV platform with focus on comfort and safety
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. Latest generation introduced with improved design, features, and safety technology
Facelift Launched Since 2025 Original current-generation version
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
Color Note - White, Black, Silver, Grey, Blue, Red
Dealer Stock Note - Top grade in the South Africa lineup
Tare Mass Kg - 1750 kg
Spec B40 Plus CR-V
Length 4630 mm 4690 mm
Width 1925 mm 1860 mm
Height 1871 mm 1690 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2700 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 198 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm 198 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 57 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 497 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1750 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 2250 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 500 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 5.7 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 970 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 970 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1049 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 1041 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and CR-V 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 CR-V 77.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs CR-V 80.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs CR-V 91.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs CR-V 66.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs CR-V 60.

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

CR-V leads by 15 points

CR-V holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over B40 Plus.

Evidence leader 76 /100
Lead 15 points
Data 94% source coverage
76
#1 Evidence leader

CR-V

94% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Ownership 60
Performance 77
Efficiency 80
Safety 91
Practicality 66
Ownership 60
Leads by 15 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 CR-V +6 Efficiency CR-V +39 Safety CR-V +34 Practicality B40 Plus +1 Ownership B40 Plus +2

Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

CR-V

Performance 77/100
Efficiency 80/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 66/100
Ownership 60/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Honda CR-V leads the specification evidence index with 76 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, CR-V 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 CR-V 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.