Once upon a time, fall was new-car season, a time of year when carmakers rolled their gleaming new models into dealer showrooms across America.
Boy, have times changed.
Now, the introduction of new models is done scattershot, with cars and trucks rolling out randomly throughout the calendar year. New vehicles are just as likely to drop in March as in October.
That said, there are some tantalizing new products in the pipeline for 2016.
Today, we'll take a short break from our weekly test drives to look at five new vehicles likely to make a splash in the days ahead: the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Camaro, Toyota Tacoma, Lexus RX and Tesla Model X.
Each, in its own way, is crucial to its company's fortunes.
HONDA CIVIC
The 2016 Honda Civic, due to arrive at Chattanooga-area car stores any time now, is being billed as a return to formula. Honda is known for building economical, reliable, fun-to-drive cars. The Civic compact car, now in its 40th year of production, had perhaps lost a step in the "fun-to-drive" department.
For 2016, Honda is trying to energize the 10th generation Civic with racy new styling and more powerful engines that promise to elevate it from an automotive appliance to a funmobile.
The big news for 2016 is an available turbocharged, 1.5-liter engine that makes 174 horsepower and propels the Civic from zero-to-60 miles per hour in 7.2 seconds. Even the standard, 2-liter engine is stouter than before, making 158 horsepower and turning in a zero-to-60 mph time of 7.8 seconds.
The visual redesign includes a more upscale fascia, with a horizontal chrome bar that has echoes of Honda's premium brand, Acura. The new Civic also gets new C-shaped taillights and a host of electronic upgrades including Apple's CarPlay and Google Android - telematics systems which will pair nicely with today's smartphones.
A sedan will be the first new Civic to hit the market, followed by a coupe, a hatchback and two performance-trim versions, the Si and Type-R. Prices start at $18,640 and range up to $28,000 for a top-of-the-line Touring sedan.
CHEVROLET CAMARO
Nothing excites auto enthusiasts like an all-new pony car. This year, it's Chevrolet's turn to unveil the sixth-generation Camaro. This comes just in time for Chevy because the rival Ford Mustang, redesigned this year, has been a monster hit.
The 2016 Camaro gets new sheet metal and a host of powertrain improvements. Early reviews point to the 2016 Camaro as being a much more refined automobile. Buyers will have three engine options, a 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, a 335-horsepower V-6 and a 455-horsepower eight-cylinder.
Photos of the new Camaro show a more menacing design with a leaner look from bumper to bumper. The Camaro shares chassis parts with the brilliant, rear-drive Cadillac ATS sedan. The turbo four-cylinder is 390 pounds lighter than the old V-6, which promises to do wonders for the car's handling.
The Camaro will also channel Apple CarPlay for the iPhone-loving masses, and comes with a 7- or 8-inch touchscreen in the dash. Heated and cooled seats are available.
Expect prices to range from $26,695 to start for the four-cylinder turbo to a $37,295 base price for the eight-cylinder SS. The volume leader is likely to be the V-6 which will start at $28,490. The new Camaros should arrive by the end of this year.
LEXUS RX
The RX luxury crossover is Lexus' bread-and-butter product, with more than 100,000 units sold per year - making it the best-selling vehicle in company history. The Japanese luxury brand must thread the needle to keep the RX fresh while not offending the conservative tastes of its customer base.
The biggest visual change for 2016 will be the adoption of a bigger "spindle" grille, the hour-glass shaped design that makes the RX look like an angry fighter jet. The new RX also comes with LED fog lights and daytime running lights, the bling of choice in luxury vehicles these days. It also has a trendy floating roof, with blacked-out C-pillars to create the illusion.
The model comes in two versions, the RX350, with its 300-horsepower V-6 and the RX450h hybrid. The base price for the RX350 is estimated to be around $42,000.
The biggest tech upgrade on the RX is the addition of the Lexus Safety System Plus, a suite of features that includes lane-departure assist and pre-collision braking.
A performance version, the F Sport, with standard all-wheel-drive, is in the pipeline.
TOYOTA TACOMA
Toyota bills its redesigned mid-size Tacoma truck as being "built for the endless weekend." Perhaps to drive home the point, 2016 Tacomas come equipped with a GoPro camera mount on the windshield for those who want to video their off-road exploits.
I read recently that the outgoing Tacoma was rated one of the easiest vehicles to work on by auto mechanics, which is a testament to its simple goodness. Although introduced in 1995, this is only the second time Toyota has gone back to the drawing board on the Tacoma - which means they tend to get things right and leave them alone.
Toyota says the new Tacoma has "chiseled character lines and muscular fenders." It strikes me that old men like me should appropriate such language: "No, honey, those aren't wrinkles, those are my chiseled character lines."
In any case, photos of the new Tacoma indeed show it to be a bit more aggressive with a new hood scoop, a three-part rear bumper and flared wheel arches. Two engine options are available, a 2.7-liter four cylinder and a 3.5-liter V-6 with direct injection. Toyota says wind-resistance has been improved on all models for a quieter ride.
The Tacoma can be configured with an access cab or a double cab, a short bed or a standard bed. Top trim versions include such niceties as leather seats, wireless phone charging, and rear cross-traffic alert to prevent backup accidents. Prices will range from $23,300 for a base SR four-cylinder to $37,820 for a top-of-the-line Limited. Properly equipped, the 2016 Tacoma can tow up to 6,800 pounds and carry a maximum payload of 1,440 pounds.
TESLA MODEL X
Yes, we know. The market for vehicles selling for more than $100,000 is vanishingly small. But we can't resist placing the Model X on our watch list for 2016 because, well, it's the vehicle we'd most like to own ourselves if money were no object.
In short, the Model X is a seven-passenger, all-electric SUV capable of a sling-shoting from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. That's right, when you're not driving your new Tesla SUV, you can lease it out as a thrill ride a Six Flags.
You'll have to drive to Atlanta to test drive the Model X when it arrives late next year, as there are no Tesla showrooms in the Chattanooga area. And be warned, the first shipment is already sold out at prices ranging from $132,000 to $142,000.
Yowzah!
The Model X is the natural follow-up to the insanely popular Tesla Model S sedan. I've driven a few Model S sedans and I've talked to enough Tesla owners to realize the brand's cult-like owner loyalty is well-deserved. Simply stated, driving a Tesla is like being transported into the future. Imagine if you had owned an iPhone in 1987: That's what it feels like.
The new Model X is being billed by the company as "the safest, fastest and most capable SUV in history." Although this might sound like hype, I can assure you it's not an overstatement.
Its futuristic falcon-wing doors - which open up, not out - require only a foot of side clearance, making parking in tight spaces a snap. Because the Model X's heavy battery sits beneath the floor of the vehicle and lowers its center of gravity, it's almost impossible to flip.
Oh, and because it doesn't have a conventional engine, the "trunk" is in the front. It's big enough to carry a couple of golf bags, according to Tesla.
The top-of-the-line P90D Model X features a 259-horsepower electric motor that drives the front wheels. And, oh, there's another electric motor that drives back wheels that packs 505 additional horsepower. Yes, 505 horses.
The Model X's range is about 250 miles, and it has a top speed of 155 mph.
Sometimes the numbers speak for themselves.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.