BAIC B40 Plus vs MG ZS Pro

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
MG ZS Pro in South Africa

MG ZS Pro

1.5T CVT Luxury Petrol CVT Current
ZAR 431,500 ex-showroom
⚡ 125 kW 🔧 275 Nm ⛽ 14.5 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs MG ZS Pro: the short answer

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

ZS Pro starts ZAR 301,900 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · ZS Pro from ZAR 397,600

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus ZS Pro
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm ZS Pro125 kW
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm ZS Pro275 Nm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc ZS Pro1496 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l ZS Pro14.5 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm ZS Pro161 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

ZS Pro

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

ZS Pro

  • 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 ZS Pro
Model Introduced Year 2021 2025
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. Current South African ZS Pro compact SUV with a 1.5-litre turbo engine, CVT and two-grade matrix.
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. Launched locally in 2025 while the value-led ZS remained current.
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2025
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV Five-door compact SUV
Model Year 2021 2025
Production Status active active
Segment Off-road SUV Compact SUV
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Spec B40 Plus ZS Pro
Length 4630 mm 4430 mm
Width 1925 mm 1818 mm
Height 1871 mm 1635 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2610 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 161 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 55 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 443 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1390 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 1840 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg 450 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 500 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 Not Officially Disclosed
Front Headroom 1010 mm 875 mm
Rear Headroom 1000 mm 865 mm
Front Legroom 1045 mm 1060 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm Not Officially Disclosed

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and ZS Pro 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 ZS Pro 56.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs ZS Pro 58.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs ZS Pro 91.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs ZS Pro 55.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs ZS Pro 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

ZS Pro leads by 4 points

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

Evidence leader 65 /100
Lead 4 points
Data 80% source coverage
65
#1 Evidence leader

ZS Pro

80% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Practicality 55
Performance 56
Efficiency 58
Safety 91
Practicality 55
Leads by 4 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 +15 Efficiency ZS Pro +17 Safety ZS Pro +34 Practicality B40 Plus +12

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

ZS Pro

Performance 56/100
Efficiency 58/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 55/100

B40 Plus

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index MG ZS Pro leads the specification evidence index with 65 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, ZS Pro 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 ZS Pro 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.