Model year
The year label a manufacturer gives a version of a car, which can differ from when it was built or sold. Specs can change between model years.
A model year is the manufacturer's version stamp on a car, and it is a label, not a birthday: a car sold in autumn may already wear the next year's badge, and a car registered new in January may be last model year's stock. The distinction sounds bureaucratic until you compare specs.
Between model years, cars change without changing name. Batteries grow, an onboard charger gets faster, safety kit becomes standard, prices move, and official range figures are re-homologated — so two listings for "the same car" can describe genuinely different vehicles. This is precisely why CarPairly's catalog keys every variant to its model year and keeps price history dated: a comparison is only honest between stated versions.
When shopping, pin down which model year a configurator, review, or leftover dealer car actually describes. An outgoing model year can be a bargain — or an older battery spec at a small discount — and only the version label tells you which.
Differs by market
Model years are a strong convention in the US, where a new model year often arrives before the calendar year it names. European markets lean on production years and mid-cycle facelifts instead, though spec changes are just as real.