BAIC B40 Plus vs Toyota GR Corolla

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
Toyota GR Corolla in South Africa

Toyota GR Corolla

1.6T Circuit MT Petrol 6-Speed Manual Current
ZAR 876,100 ex-showroom
⚡ 224 kW 🔧 390 Nm ⛽ 11.2 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Toyota GR Corolla: the short answer

B40 Plus and GR Corolla are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

B40 Plus starts ZAR 117,000 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · GR Corolla from ZAR 816,500

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus GR Corolla
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm GR Corolla224 kW
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm GR Corolla390 Nm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc GR Corolla1618 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l GR Corolla11.2 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm GR Corolla155 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.

Read the review and score breakdown

Toyota GR Corolla

1.6T Circuit MT

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

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
  • 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

GR Corolla

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

GR Corolla

  • 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 GR Corolla
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. First generation GR Corolla on TNGA-C platform with GR performance upgrades
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. First generation GR Corolla launched in SA in 2023
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2023
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 Hatchback
Vehicle Type SUV Hatchback
Color Note - Supersonic Red, White Pearl, Dark Gray
Dealer Stock Note - Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Tare Mass Kg - 1370 kg
Spec B40 Plus GR Corolla
Length 4630 mm 4360 mm
Width 1925 mm 1850 mm
Height 1871 mm 1455 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2640 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 155 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm 125 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 50 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 217 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1370 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 1770 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 400 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1600 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 5.3 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 991 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 954 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1034 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 882 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and GR Corolla 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 GR Corolla 90.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs GR Corolla 43.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs GR Corolla 98.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs GR Corolla 50.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs GR Corolla 43.

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

GR Corolla leads by 7 points

B40 Plus and GR Corolla are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 68 /100
Lead 7 points
Data 90% source coverage
68
#1 Evidence leader

GR Corolla

90% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Efficiency 43
Performance 90
Efficiency 43
Safety 98
Practicality 50
Ownership 43
Leads by 7 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 GR Corolla +19 Efficiency GR Corolla +2 Safety GR Corolla +41 Practicality B40 Plus +17 Ownership B40 Plus +19

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

GR Corolla

Performance 90/100
Efficiency 43/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 50/100
Ownership 43/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota GR Corolla leads the specification evidence index with 68 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, GR Corolla leads. However, B40 Plus may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

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B40 Plus vs GR Corolla 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.