BAIC B40 Plus vs Rolls-Royce Cullinan

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
Rolls-Royce Cullinan in South Africa

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Cullinan Series II Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
Price on request
⚡ 420 kW 🔧 850 Nm ⛽ 5.95 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Rolls-Royce Cullinan: the short answer

Cullinan holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over B40 Plus.

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus Cullinan
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm Cullinan420 kW @ 5000-6000 rpm
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm Cullinan850 Nm @ 1600-4250 rpm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc Cullinan6749 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l Cullinan5.95 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm Cullinan173 mm

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

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

B40 Plus

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

Cullinan

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

Which One's Right for You?

B40 Plus

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

Cullinan

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • 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 Cullinan
Model Introduced Year 2021 2018
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. Cullinan Series II, the current evolution of the marque's five-door super-luxury SUV
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. Cullinan was introduced in South Africa in 2018 and received its most extensive evolution as Cullinan Series II in May 2024
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2024
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV Five-door luxury SUV
Model Year 2021 2026
Production Status active active
Segment Off-road SUV Full-size super-luxury SUV
Vehicle Type SUV Internal-combustion sport utility vehicle
Spec B40 Plus Cullinan
Length 4630 mm 5355 mm
Width 1925 mm 2000 mm
Height 1871 mm 1835 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 3295 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 173 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm 173 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 90 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 612 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 2725 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 3300 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 575 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 2700 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 6.6 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 1064 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 1026 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1006 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 1090 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and Cullinan 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 Cullinan 99.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs Cullinan 28.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs Cullinan 99.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs Cullinan 75.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs Cullinan 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

Cullinan leads by 18 points

Cullinan holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over B40 Plus.

Evidence leader 79 /100
Lead 18 points
Data 83% source coverage
79
#1 Evidence leader

Cullinan

83% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Performance 99 Check Efficiency 28
Performance 99
Efficiency 28
Safety 99
Practicality 75
Leads by 18 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 Cullinan +28 Efficiency B40 Plus +13 Safety Cullinan +42 Practicality Cullinan +8

Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Cullinan

Performance 99/100
Efficiency 28/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 75/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Rolls-Royce Cullinan leads the specification evidence index with 79 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Cullinan 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 Cullinan 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.