Build one market column at a time
Put country, model year, grade name and brochure date at the top of each comparison column. Record length, mass, battery, motors, inlet, AC/DC charging, wheels and key cabin equipment below. Do not copy a feature sideways merely because two grades share an exterior.
Treat performance as configuration evidence
Official European launch material described 230 kW rear drive and 390 kW all-wheel drive configurations. Those figures can help screen a listing, but the candidate still needs its configuration record and diagnostic identity. Acceleration claims do not prove motor count or battery condition.
Keep range cycles visible
WLTP, CLTC and NEDC figures answer different test procedures. Never place them in one ranking without naming the cycle. Real use then changes with speed, temperature, tyres, elevation, load, climate control and battery condition, so model the buyer’s route separately.
Verify charging hardware physically
A brochure can describe Type 2/CCS2 while a China-market car has another inlet and software path. Photograph the inlet, labels and supplied cable, read the onboard-charger data and test with known equipment. An adapter cannot automatically solve communication, thermal or regulatory differences.
Decode equipment rather than grade words
Comfort, Design, Excellence, Premium and Performance are market labels, not globally interchangeable specifications. Record installed wheel and tyre codes, seat functions, audio, cameras, head-up display, heat pump, V2L equipment and keys. Leave uncertain cells blank instead of filling them from a similar listing.
Issue a candidate specification sheet
The final sheet should identify VIN, market, production date, drive, battery, charge inlet, software language, tyre size and included equipment. Add evidence sources and capture dates. This becomes the reference for inspection, shipping declarations, insurance and destination service planning.
Identity file close-out
Close this specific file by placing dated official market brochure, VIN-linked configuration record and battery and drive-unit identifiers in one dated candidate record. The reviewer should be able to confirm that test cycle is named beside range and that rwd and awd are not mixed. Name the person or provider responsible for every unresolved point, add a realistic cost or consequence, and state what evidence will change the decision. If the VIN, version, condition or destination basis changes, reopen this file instead of carrying the previous conclusion into a different purchase.
Decision boundary
A useful decision records what is verified, what remains seller-stated and what was not tested. Attach a consequence and owner to each open item. Do not let a broad assurance replace a missing VIN record, charge test, condition image or destination opinion. Acceptance should be explicit: proceed, proceed with a priced condition, obtain more evidence, or reject. A replacement VIN never inherits an earlier acceptance.
Document discipline
Give images, scans, diagnostics and quotations a date, source and vehicle identity. Preserve originals before translation or editing. If custody, software, repair, route or candidate changes, identify which conclusions expire and repeat the affected checks instead of silently carrying them forward. Before inland release, read the same identity, propulsion, value and parties across contract, invoice, inspection and shipping drafts. Registration and customs remain separate destination checks.