Baic South Africa launches the B40 Plus SUV

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

The B40 Plus which has its roots in the military has over 60 years of heritage to draw on. It has been tested in almost every condition, altitude, terrain, and application over this time leading to the claim that it was born on the battlefield and perfected in the real world.

Mr Hu, vice president of marketing operations for Baic South Africa said “Baic SA is proud to add the B40 Plus to the model line-up. We believe this vehicle will be well received by the market and will find quite a following amongst consumers that want to stand out in a crowd.”

Design and interior

The design of the B40 Plus is bold and imposing. The styling echoes the confidence of the driver, with aggressive bumpers and wheel arches. The vehicle commands presence whether it’s on city streets or showcasing its prowess off-road.

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

The front of the B40 Plus is striking, with the iconic five-slot grille design that is inspired by the Great Wall of China. The chrome and black accents on the exterior contrast the vehicle’s body colour, adding visual interest. This is also echoed in the interior of the B40 Plus.

The bold design features imposing headlights with Daytime Running Lights (DRL) as well as front and rear fog lamps. The red tow hooks are a confident design characteristic on the B40 Plus while making it easy to pull, tow or rescue travel companions in other vehicles.

City hunter

It doesn’t matter if you’re travelling city streets or exploring the hidden paths, you get to do it in comfort and style in the B40 PLUS. The considered cabin is modern, sleek and contains all the appointments you would need in an SUV from Dual Zone Air Conditioner, six-speaker audio system, colour-coded interior trim, chrome accents and to top it all off, reclining rear seats.

There are also features like the reverse camera, Park Distance Control (PDC), and customisable Multi-Information Display (MID), to keep the driver in complete control of his landscape.

The ground clearance of 210mm is more than ample for those muddy challenges. The approach angle is a generous 37 degrees, departure angle of 31 degrees and rampover angle of 23 degrees.

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

The selectable 4WD system with mechanical central transfer case and rear differential lock allows driver control over how the engine is powered, dependent on the terrain, conditions and requirements.

Safety and security

The B40 PLUS comes standard with a host of active and passive safety features to ensure your adventure is on your terms. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) are standard across all models, while some models also feature Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Ascent Control (HAC) and Hill Descent Control (HAC).

Engines

The B40 Plus is available in 2l petrol turbo or 2l turbo diesel. The choice is yours on how you power your adventure. The petrol engine kicks out 160kW at 5500r/min while the diesel pushes out 110kW at 4000r/min and 350Nm of torque at 1800-2800r/min.

Model line-up

• B40 Plus Diesel
• B40 Plus Petrol
• B40 Plus City Hunter Diesel
• B40 Plus City Hunter Petrol
• B40 Plus Champion Petrol

Colour range

The colour line-up is really exciting and the interior is matched by the same exterior colour interior and will suit every taste. The colours available are Ice White, Onyx Black, Desert Red, Military Green, Forest Green, Sky Blue and Ocean Blues.

Pricing

The B40 Plus is priced quite competitively, offering generous features in all models in the line-up. The range starts from R549,500 and goes up to R629,500 for the top-of-the-range offering.

All B40 Plus models are sold with a five-year/120,000km warranty. Competitive service plan options are available. Service intervals are 15,000km/12 months for both the Petrol and Diesel models.

About Baic

The Baic Group was established in 1958. It is one of the top five automobile manufacturing groups in China, where they also have joint venture factories with Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai. 2020 accomplishments include sales exceeding two million vehicles and ranks 124th on the Fortune 500 company list. The Baic factory is located in P and has an annual production capacity of 50,000 vehicles, creating over 6 000 jobs.