BAIC B40 Plus vs LEPAS L4

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
LEPAS L4 in South Africa

LEPAS L4

1.5T Pantera 6DCT Petrol 6-Speed DCT Current
ZAR 419,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 108 kW 🔧 225 Nm ⛽ 14.3 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs LEPAS L4: the short answer

B40 Plus and L4 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

L4 starts ZAR 399,600 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · L4 from ZAR 299,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus L4
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm L4108 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm L4225 Nm @ 2000-4000 rpm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc L41499 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l L414.3 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm L4160 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

L4

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

L4

  • 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 L4
Model Introduced Year 2021 2026
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 LEPAS L4 compact SUV
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 L4 launched as the first LEPAS model in South Africa in 2026.
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2026
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 SUV
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Spec B40 Plus L4
Length 4630 mm 4406 mm
Width 1925 mm 1820 mm
Height 1871 mm 1635 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2700 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 160 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm 170 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 51 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 458 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1346 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 1844 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 498 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1200 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 5.275 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 1005 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 975 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1040 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 890 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and L4 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 L4 47.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs L4 56.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs L4 92.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs L4 59.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs L4 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

L4 leads by 3 points

B40 Plus and L4 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 64 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 83% source coverage
64
#1 Evidence leader

L4

83% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Performance 47
Performance 47
Efficiency 56
Safety 92
Practicality 59
Leads by 3 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 +24 Efficiency L4 +15 Safety L4 +35 Practicality B40 Plus +8

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

L4

Performance 47/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 59/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index LEPAS L4 leads the specification evidence index with 64 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, L4 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 L4 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.