A model name like "Toyota Aqua" or "Honda Fit" can span a decade or more of production, across two or three distinct generations that share almost nothing mechanically. The chassis code — a short alphanumeric string like NHP10, GD1, or HA36S — is how Japanese manufacturers actually distinguish those generations. It's printed on the vehicle's registration book and chassis plate, and it's the single most useful piece of information you can check before buying a used import in Sri Lanka, because it tells you more about the car than the model year alone does.

Why the Model Name Isn't Enough

Two cars both listed as "Toyota Vitz" can differ by a full platform generation, a different engine family, and — in Sri Lanka's market — a price gap of a million rupees or more, even at similar mileage. The model year narrows this down somewhat, but production of one chassis generation often overlaps with the next by a year or two, and reconditioned imports don't always list the year clearly or accurately. The chassis code removes the ambiguity: NHP10 is always the first-generation Aqua, MXPK11 is always the newer platform — regardless of what year is written on the listing.

What a Chassis Code Actually Tells You

Once you know the chassis code, you know (or can look up) the exact generation's:

  • Engine and drivetrain — including whether it's the hybrid or petrol-only variant, which often share a model name but not a chassis code
  • Known reliability issues — problems specific to one generation (a certain CVT, a certain hybrid battery chemistry) that a later or earlier chassis code doesn't share
  • Parts compatibility — genuine and aftermarket parts are generation-specific; ordering the wrong one because you only knew the model name is a common and avoidable mistake
  • Real market price — Sri Lankan buyers and sellers increasingly price by chassis code, not just model + year, because it's the more reliable signal

Where to Find the Chassis Code

It's stamped on the vehicle's chassis plate (usually under the bonnet or on the driver's-side door pillar) and printed on the Sri Lankan registration book (CR book) and revenue licence. If a seller's listing only states the model and year, ask for the chassis code directly, or cross-check the visible chassis plate against the generation guides below before agreeing on a price.

Chassis Guides We've Published

Each of these breaks down every chassis code sold in Sri Lanka for that model, what changed between generations, and how the market prices each one:

Checking a Model We Haven't Covered Yet

Don't see your model above? Filter by chassis directly on the price dashboard — most listings on PriceMart.lk are tagged with chassis where the source listing specified one, so you can compare pricing across generations even without a dedicated guide.

All price and market data sourced from live listings on ikman.lk and riyasewana.com via PriceMart.lk.