Model year
The vehicle's marketing year, which can differ from when it was actually built.
A model year is the year designation under which a vehicle is sold, and it can start months before the calendar agrees: a 2025 model may reach dealers in mid-2024. Specs, ratings, and recalls all attach to the model year.
Within a generation, changes between model years are usually small. The years that matter are redesign years, when a model changes generation, and mid-cycle refreshes, which often add new safety equipment.