Glendale Nissan Official Blog
Why do new model year cars come out in fall?
By Product Expert | Posted in FAQs on Wednesday, July 12th, 2017 at 5:13 pm
How come new car years start early?
Recently, Nissan has been releasing mid-year models, in the form of vehicles like the 2017.5 Nissan Rogue. With a year only being 12 months, is this necessary? Well, if you don’t like the confusion of the automotive model year starting at a time when you’re only halfway through the calendar year, perhaps it’s refreshing. The automotive world can be a bit confusing in this way, and today we’re looking at why that is. How come new car years start early, rather than having January releases?
Why the automotive year is ahead of schedule
It’s strange a strange thing to start looking ahead at 2018 when we are only halfway through 2017, especially when automakers might start hinting at their next offerings as early as January. When you work in the industry, it’s not unreasonable to ask yourself, “What year is it?”
with a general sense of confusion. By the time New Year’s rolls around, we’ll be feeling as if 2018 is already old hat, perhaps even thinking ahead to 2019 already.
So why is it this way? There are a few theories out there. One is that the automotive model year began with farmers, who harvest crops in the fall and suddenly find themselves with some money to spend. Why not release something new right when it would be most appealing?
[More FAQs: Where did Nissan get its name?]
Another theory is that automotive manufacturing was somewhat halted in winter months during early auto production because plants require large buildings that are difficult to heat and keep well-lit, so production would be hectic in the summer and then ready for distribution by fall.
Really, though, there’s no verified reason that the fall became the status quo. These days, we’re often excited for a variety of other things, such as back-to-school events for the kids or the launch of favorite TV shows. Likely, the automotive industry followed the same mindset as other markets: people are too busy in summer, and the holidays catch everyone’s attention in winter.
Do you wish model years coincided with the calendar? Share your opinion with a comment below, and be sure to check back here at the Glendale Nissan Blog for more answers to your FAQs.
