BAIC B40 Plus vs Hyundai i20

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
Hyundai i20 in South Africa

Hyundai i20

1.0T Fluid Petrol 6-Speed Manual Current
ZAR 328,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 74 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 14.5 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Hyundai i20: the short answer

B40 Plus and i20 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

i20 starts ZAR 402,600 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · i20 from ZAR 296,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus i20
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm i2074 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm i20172 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc i20998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l i2014.5 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm i20195 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

Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.

Read the review and score breakdown

Hyundai i20

1.0T Fluid

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)

Specification evidence leader

B40 Plus

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

i20

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published ownership cover
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

i20

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published warranty or service cover

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec B40 Plus i20
Model Introduced Year 2021 2008
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. Third generation i20 on the K2 platform; sold in SA with 1.0T three-cylinder turbo across all variants
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. Third generation launched globally in 2020 and arrived in SA shortly after; significant improvement over the second gen in styling, tech, and driving dynamics
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2020
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 - White, Black, Silver, Blue, Red, Yellow
Dealer Stock Note - Fluid grade in the South Africa lineup
Tare Mass Kg - 1135 kg
Spec B40 Plus i20
Length 4630 mm 4040 mm
Width 1925 mm 1775 mm
Height 1871 mm 1505 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2580 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 195 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 40 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 352 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1135 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 1610 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 475 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 5.2 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Headroom 1000 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Front Legroom 1045 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Legroom 900 mm Not Officially Disclosed

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and i20 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 i20 37.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs i20 59.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs i20 84.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs i20 61.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs i20 65.

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 0 points

B40 Plus and i20 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 61 /100
Lead 0 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 0 points
61
#2

i20

93% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 84 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 59
Safety 84
Practicality 61
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance B40 Plus +34 Efficiency i20 +18 Safety i20 +27 Practicality B40 Plus +6 Ownership i20 +3

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

i20

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 59/100
Safety 84/100
Practicality 61/100
Ownership 65/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BAIC B40 Plus leads the specification evidence index with 61 pts vs 61 pts for i20

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, B40 Plus leads. However, i20 may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

B40 Plus vs i20 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.