How to Distinguish Between China V and China VI?
2 Answers
There is no prominent distinguishing mark between China V and China VI, and the difference mainly lies in the different standards for exhaust emission limits. The following aspects can be used to distinguish between China V and China VI: 1. Different emission limits: For light-duty vehicle emission limits, the country has established two levels of requirements for China VIa and China VIb stages. China VIa is equivalent to the transitional phase between China V and China VI, while China VIb represents the true China VI emission standard. China VI adopts a fuel-neutral principle, meaning the emission limits are the same regardless of the fuel type. In contrast, during the China V stage, the emission standards for diesel and gasoline vehicles were different. 2. Different prices: Compared to China V vehicles, China VI vehicles are equipped with richer configurations. Additionally, automobile manufacturers bear the additional costs of various tests for vehicle declaration and production, resulting in higher prices for China VI vehicles than China V vehicles. 3. Different scrapping time limits: Although the country has abolished the restriction on scrapping time limits, it has stipulated that old vehicles are prohibited from being driven on the road, which is equivalent to scrapping. For example, China III trucks from 2010 and China IV trucks from 2010 can still operate in Beijing. However, as more and more cities impose driving bans, many old vehicles are effectively scrapped. Therefore, even for vehicles from the same year, the time limits may differ.
I've been driving for over ten years myself. Simply distinguishing between China 5 and China 6 mainly depends on the time period and emission controls. China 5 vehicles were typically produced and launched before or during 2018, while China 6 vehicles have been introduced in phases, China 6a and China 6b, starting from 2019. A straightforward method is to look at the environmental label—China 5 is marked with a V-level label, whereas China 6 is labeled as VI on the vehicle information plate. Technically speaking, China 6 has stricter pollutant limits, such as significantly reduced nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, and also includes real-world driving tests to ensure actual low emissions. For example, when I went for car repairs, I noticed that China 6 engines have more optimizations, with higher combustion efficiency, but require more frequent maintenance of the exhaust system, like the DPF filter. Policy impacts are also significant—for instance, in big cities, China 5 vehicles face severe driving restrictions, while China 6 vehicles can generally move freely. When buying used cars, China 6 models tend to hold their value better. Overall, China 6 is more environmentally friendly and better for air quality. While China 5 might have lower maintenance costs, in the long run, switching to a China 6 vehicle is more cost-effective.