What is the purpose of the __init__ method in a class?

The init method, also known as the initializer or constructor, plays a crucial role in the creation of an instance of a class in Python. Its primary purpose is to initialize an object's attributes when a new instance of the class is created. This method is automatically called when an object is instantiated, allowing the programmer to set up the initial state of the object by assigning values to its attributes.

For instance, if you have a class representing a 'Car', the init method can be used to set attributes like color, model, and year at the time the object is created. This ensures that every instance of the class begins with well-defined characteristics.

The other options relate to different functionalities within a class or programming structure: defining the class name and properties pertains to the class declaration itself, deleting an instance is handled by the del statement or through garbage collection, and creating a new class object itself is not the responsibility of the init method, but of the class constructor mechanism that calls it. Thus, the function of the init method is specifically tied to initializing attributes for newly created class instances.