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.
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Decision summary
BAIC B40 Plus vs BYD DOLPHIN: the short answer
DOLPHIN holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over B40 Plus.
DOLPHIN starts ZAR 159,600 cheaperB40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · DOLPHIN from ZAR 539,900
Five key differences
Exact selected derivatives
Swipe sideways to compare every column
Specification
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Maximum Power
B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm
DOLPHIN150 kW
Maximum Torque
B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm
DOLPHIN310 Nm
Engine Size
B40 Plus1998 cc
DOLPHINNot Applicable
Combined Fuel Economy
B40 Plus9.0 km/l
DOLPHINNot Applicable
Ground Clearance
B40 Plus210 mm
DOLPHIN155 mm
Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.
Independent editorial assessment
Hagalu editorial ratings
When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.
BAIC B40 Plus
Honor Edition
Hagalu editorial rating
4.0/5★★★★★★★★★★
Desk research · Exact variant
Hagalu Editorial Team ·
Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.
Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.
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 PerformancePublished Practicality
Specification evidence leader
DOLPHIN
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
DOLPHIN
Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
Full Specs, Side by Side
Open a category, then swipe sideways to compare every column
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Model Introduced Year
2021
2024
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.
First South African DOLPHIN generation
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.
No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026
Facelift Launched Since
2025
Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending
Current
Current
Body Style
Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV
Hatchback
Model Year
2021
2026
Production Status
active
Active
Segment
Off-road SUV
Compact Hatchback
Vehicle Type
SUV
Passenger vehicle
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Length
4630 mm
4290 mm
Width
1925 mm
1770 mm
Height
1871 mm
1570 mm
Wheelbase
2745 mm
2700 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
210 mm
155 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
190 mm
130 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity
75 l
0 l
Boot/Cargo Space
532 l
345 l
Kerb Weight
2110 kg
1658 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
2535 kg
2068 kg
Payload Capacity
425 kg
410 kg
Towing Capacity
1500 kg
0 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
5.25 m
Front Headroom
1010 mm
1000 mm
Rear Headroom
1000 mm
900 mm
Front Legroom
1045 mm
1130 mm
Rear Legroom
900 mm
740 mm
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Engine
2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine
Single-motor battery-electric powertrain
Engine Code
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Fuel Type
Petrol
Electric
Hybrid System
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Engine Displacement
1998 cc
Not Applicable
Cylinders
4
Not Applicable
Cylinder Layout
Inline
Not Applicable
Valves
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Valves per Cylinder
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Aspiration
Turbocharged
Not Applicable
Fuel System
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Compression Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Bore
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Stroke
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Maximum Power
165 kW @ 5500 rpm
150 kW
Maximum Torque
380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm
310 Nm
Combined Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Combined Torque
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Motor Type
Not Applicable
Permanent Magnet Synchronous
Number of Motors
Not Applicable
1
Motor Location
Not Applicable
Front
Drive Type
4WD
FWD
Transmission
8-Speed Automatic
Single-Speed Reduction Gear
Top Speed
180 km/h
160 km/h
0-100 km/h
9.9 sec
7.0 sec
Quarter Mile
17.2 sec
Not Officially Disclosed
Drive Modes
Comfort, Eco, Sport, Snow
Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow
Launch Control
No
Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Power-to-Weight Ratio
78.2 kW/tonne
90.5 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio
180.1 Nm/tonne
187.0 Nm/tonne
Battery Capacity
Not Applicable
60.48 kWh
Usable Battery Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Battery Type
Not Applicable
LFP
Battery Voltage
Not Applicable
403.2 V
Electric Range
Not Applicable
427 km
AC Charging Power
Not Applicable
7 kW
DC Charging Power
Not Applicable
80 kW
AC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
DC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Officially Disclosed
Regenerative Braking
Not Applicable
Yes
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Gearbox
8AT
Single-Speed Reduction Gear
Drivetrain Layout
4WD
Front motor, front-wheel drive
LSD Available
No
Not Available
Transfer Case
Electronic 4WD transfer case
Not Applicable
Differential Lock
Rear electronic differential lock; Front optional electronic differential lock
Atlantis Grey + Black, Blue + Grey, Ski White + Grey
Headlights
Standard
Standard
Panoramic Sunroof
Not Officially Disclosed
Standard
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Approach Angle
37 deg
16 deg
Departure Angle
31 deg
23 deg
Wading Depth
600 mm
Not Applicable
Terrain Modes
Snow, Sport, Comfort, Eco
Not Applicable
Locking Differential
Rear axle electronic differential lock
Not Available
4WD System Type
Electronic time-sharing 4WD
Not Applicable
Breakover Angle
23 deg
Not Applicable
Wading Depth Mm
600 mm
-
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Tyre Size
265/65 R17
205/50 R17
Front Brake Type
Ventilated disc
Ventilated disc
Rear Brake Type
Disc
Disc
Spare Wheel Type
Full-size spare
Tyre repair kit
Wheel Rim Size
17-inch
17
Tyre Type
All-Terrain
-
Auto Brake Hold
Yes
-
Handbrake Type
Electric parking brake
Electronic parking brake
Towing Unbraked Kg
750 kg
-
Wheel Material
Lightweight dual-tone alloy
-
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Front Suspension
Double wishbone independent front suspension
MacPherson strut
Rear Suspension
Five-link non-independent rear suspension
Multi-link
Chassis Type
Body-on-frame
-
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Service Interval
15000 km
-
Service Plan Duration
4 years / 60000 km
3 years/60000 km service plan
Service Plan Distance
4 years / 60000 km
3 years/60000 km service plan
Service Plan
4 years / 60000 km
3 years/60000 km service plan
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Warranty Years
5 years / 120000 km
3 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Warranty Kilometers
5 years / 120000 km
3 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Warranty
5 years / 120000 km
3 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
CO2 Emissions
Not Officially Disclosed
0 g/km
Fuel Octane Requirement
92 RON or higher petrol
-
Spec
B40 Plus
DOLPHIN
Ownership Role
Private buyer ownership with BAIC South Africa warranty and service support
extended-range derivative
Price Zar
699500 ZAR
602900 ZAR
Pricing Role
Current ex-showroom price
extended-range derivative
Starting Price
699500
602900
Starting Price Zar
699500
602900
In depth: how these cars differ
This B40 Plus and DOLPHIN 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 DOLPHIN 66.
Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs DOLPHIN 90.
Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs DOLPHIN 98.
Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs DOLPHIN 56.
Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs DOLPHIN 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.
Model imagery
B40 Plus and DOLPHIN image comparison
Open an image for its full canonical file or visit the model page for the complete vehicle record.
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
DOLPHIN leads by 15 points
DOLPHIN holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over B40 Plus.
Performance
B40 Plus +5
Efficiency
DOLPHIN +49
Safety
DOLPHIN +41
Practicality
B40 Plus +11
Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Evidence-index leader
DOLPHIN
Performance
66/100
Efficiency
90/100
Safety
98/100
Practicality
56/100
B40 Plus
Performance
71/100
Efficiency
41/100
Safety
57/100
Practicality
67/100
Ownership
62/100
What the evidence means
Evidence indexBYD DOLPHIN
leads the specification evidence index with 76 pts
vs 61 pts for B40 Plus
In Hagalu's specification evidence index, DOLPHIN leads. However, B40 Plus 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.
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.
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