BAIC B40 Plus vs Mazda CX-3

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
Mazda CX-3 in South Africa

Mazda CX-3

2.0 Individual Auto FWD Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 551,600 ex-showroom
⚡ 115 kW 🔧 206 Nm ⛽ 15.9 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Mazda CX-3: the short answer

B40 Plus and CX-3 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

CX-3 starts ZAR 259,500 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · CX-3 from ZAR 440,000

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus CX-3
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm CX-3115 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm CX-3206 Nm @ 2800 rpm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc CX-31998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l CX-315.9 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm CX-3155 mm

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

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

CX-3

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

CX-3

  • 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 CX-3
Model Introduced Year 2021 2015
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 first-generation DK-series Mazda CX-3
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. The CX-3 has received successive equipment and design updates since its 2015 debut; Carbon and Individual now sit together at the top of the South African range.
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2015
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 Compact crossover
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg - 1270 kg
Spec B40 Plus CX-3
Length 4630 mm 4275 mm
Width 1925 mm 1765 mm
Height 1871 mm 1542 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2570 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 155 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 48 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 230 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1270 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 1735 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 465 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 850 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 5.7 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm -
Rear Headroom 1000 mm -
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1058 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 888 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and CX-3 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 CX-3 47.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs CX-3 61.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs CX-3 84.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs CX-3 48.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs CX-3 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 1 points

B40 Plus and CX-3 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 61 /100
Lead 1 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 1 points
60
#2

CX-3

71% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 84 Check Performance 47
Performance 47
Efficiency 61
Safety 84
Practicality 48
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance B40 Plus +24 Efficiency CX-3 +20 Safety CX-3 +27 Practicality B40 Plus +19

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

CX-3

Performance 47/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 84/100
Practicality 48/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BAIC B40 Plus leads the specification evidence index with 61 pts vs 60 pts for CX-3

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, B40 Plus leads. However, CX-3 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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B40 Plus vs CX-3 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.