BAIC B40 Plus vs Mazda CX-5

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-5 in South Africa

Mazda CX-5

2.0 Carbon Edition Auto FWD Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 688,400 ex-showroom
⚡ 121 kW 🔧 213 Nm ⛽ 14.5 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Mazda CX-5: the short answer

B40 Plus and CX-5 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

CX-5 starts ZAR 129,000 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · CX-5 from ZAR 570,500

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus CX-5
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm CX-5121 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm CX-5213 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc CX-51998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l CX-514.5 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm CX-5200 mm

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

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

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
Specification evidence leader

CX-5

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-5

  • 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-5
Model Introduced Year 2021 2017
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. Second-generation KF-series Mazda CX-5, current outgoing South African 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. The second generation arrived in 2017 and received a substantial update from 2021. An all-new replacement is scheduled to reach South Africa on 1 August 2026, while this current range remains on sale.
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2017
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 Mid-size family SUV
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg - 1575 kg
Spec B40 Plus CX-5
Length 4630 mm 4575 mm
Width 1925 mm 1845 mm
Height 1871 mm 1680 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2700 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 200 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 56 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 438 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1575 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 2065 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 490 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1000 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 5.95 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm -
Rear Headroom 1000 mm -
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1041 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 1007 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and CX-5 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-5 48.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs CX-5 56.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs CX-5 88.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs CX-5 61.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs CX-5 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

CX-5 leads by 2 points

B40 Plus and CX-5 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 63 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 78% source coverage
63
#1 Evidence leader

CX-5

78% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 88 Check Performance 48
Performance 48
Efficiency 56
Safety 88
Practicality 61
Leads by 2 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 B40 Plus +23 Efficiency CX-5 +15 Safety CX-5 +31 Practicality B40 Plus +6

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

CX-5

Performance 48/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 88/100
Practicality 61/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Mazda CX-5 leads the specification evidence index with 63 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, CX-5 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 CX-5 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.