DIRECT ANSWER
Make the decision from one identified vehicle.
A clear warning lamp and electric-first demonstration cannot prove healthy exhaust or emissions systems. Identify the exact DM-i engine, preserve faults and readiness before clearing, then inspect cold and warm behavior and confirm destination rules separately.
Translate the advertisement into a controlled vehicle description before comparing it. The badge is only a starting point; year, power system, factory configuration and importing country determine which specifications matter. Separate documents and measurements from sales language so no brochure feature is credited twice.
CONNECTED DECISIONS
Use the evidence in its wider route
- Begin with the DM-i engine and route checks.
- Join exhaust evidence to the cold-to-warm thermal inspection.
- Confirm emissions responsibility through the export and destination route.
EVIDENCE FILE
Records that change the answer
Start with VIN and engine configuration and link it to the VIN before accepting translated trim names or catalogue photographs. Add cold exhaust and underbody photographs so condition or equipment claims can be checked against the actual car. The remaining records establish how the vehicle operates, how it has been treated and whether the proposed route is credible.
- VIN and engine configuration
- cold exhaust and underbody photographs
- diagnostic faults and readiness status
- mixed-mode temperature and fuel-control log
- destination emissions and inspection requirement
A record remains useful only for the vehicle and moment it describes. Preserve original files, note who supplied them and request a new inspection after a material repair or long custody gap. When another car is offered, discard conclusions that cannot be traced to its VIN.
DECISION TEST
Test the route, not the brochure
A highly charged car remains electric during the seller drive and shows no warning. Recheck from a documented cold state and a lower battery state so the engine and exhaust reach meaningful operation. Record leaks, odor, noise, fuel control, temperatures and post-drive faults without forcing unsafe conditions.
Choose the candidate that survives the route test with the fewest unsupported assumptions. Where proof is incomplete, show the buyer the open question and the realistic downside rather than promoting a convenient best case.
Inspection scope should follow the decision. For this route, check identify engine and original emissions context, then preserve current, pending and readiness evidence before reset. Continue with inspect exhaust, shields, catalyst, sensors and repair marks and record exercise the engine through a documented cold-to-warm mixed-mode route. Measurements, photographs, diagnostics and test conditions are more transferable than labels such as “excellent,” “full option” or “export ready.”
Risk boundary
A recently cleared ECU can hide incomplete monitors, and substituted exhaust parts or software changes can create registration and repair problems. A catalyst-related code does not identify the failed part until misfire, fuel control, leaks, sensors and engine condition are diagnosed.
Disclosure makes a limitation discussable; vagueness makes it risky. Define how the issue affects safety, use, compliance, service or resale and who will resolve it. A deposit should not remove the buyer's ability to verify a decisive claim.
DESTINATION CONTROL
Carry the same facts through export
China export acceptance does not guarantee destination emissions conformity or registration. Preserve installed-component and diagnostic evidence, disclose unresolved modifications and obtain current local requirements using the exact VIN and engine data.
Rehearse the export file while the seller still controls the car. Contract, invoice, inspection, customs description and shipping booking should name the same VIN and propulsion. Ask the destination adviser separately about registration and any technical changes required after arrival.
Use a dated worksheet and a single delivery boundary for comparisons. Keep quoted, estimated and conditional lines distinct. Recalculate when currency, vehicle, route, sailing or customs treatment changes rather than carrying an old total into a new transaction.
BUYER QUESTIONS
Questions to settle before payment
Does no warning lamp prove emissions compliance?
No. Check faults, readiness, physical components and the required destination test.
Can a catalyst code identify the failed component alone?
No. Diagnose engine condition, leaks, sensors, wiring and operating data.
Does EV-mode driving test the exhaust?
No. A controlled cold-to-warm engine route is required.
PRIMARY REFERENCES
Verify the current market version
BYD lists the current China-market vehicle through separate official Sealion 06 EV and Sealion 06 DM-i pages. Official pages describe the model family; the candidate still needs VIN-linked verification, and destination rules require separate confirmation.