Las Vegas will once again become home to countless numbers of automotive industry professionals, influencers, and media for the annual SEMA show. Set from November 1st through the 4th, the show (put on by Specialty Equipment Market Association) promises to showcase the latest and greatest that the industry has to offer. While some larger manufacturers have pulled out of the SEMA show over the last few years, Stellantis is still attending in 2022, this time showcasing some exciting concepts with Ram and Jeep.
In a brief press release and tweet released on 10/12, Stellantis showed us all a teaser of what they'll be showing off at SEMA 2022. It's anyone's guess what they're actually bringing. But, it's safe to assume whatever they show off in Las Vegas will be worth a look. Both Jeep and Ram have had some great SEMA projects in years past.
Mopar Hit SEMA Hard in 2021
While this year may be the 85th anniversary of Mopar, (originally a line of antifreeze that combined the words MOtor and PARts, introduced in 1937) that certainly didn't mean that they held back at last years SEMA show. One of their releases was the above pictured 2020 Challenger widebody known as the "Holy Guacamole" concept. Featuring an unmistakable tone of olive green with an equally green plaid interior, the Holy Guacamole practically dripped with 1970's Americana vibes.
Among the other more notable vehicles that Stallantis brought to SEMA in 2021 was the Jeep Wrangler 4Xe concept. Just a year later, we know the 2022 Wrangler 4Xe as one of Americas best-selling plug in hybrid vehicles. In 2021 however, the world had not gotten its hands on one yet. Of course, in typical Jeep fashion, their display vehicle was loaded to the gills with Jeep accessories, a 2.5" lift kit, aggressive BFG tires, and a bright blue leather interior. No doubt that we'll see even more new Jeep accessories this year.
Be On The Lookout For The Jeep Surge
Jeep has long been synonymous with modified vehicles. While some manufacturers discourage their buyers from modifications, Jeep was one of the first brands to actively promote modifying their vehicles. The brand knows that their core audience is looking for an individualized experience, which is likely one of the reasons they picked a Jeep in the first place. So, they've put massive effort into offering their own line of accessories, as well as making the vehicles friendly to the aftermarket. The SEMA organization is well aware of this, as are the numerous vendors that work under SEMA membership. What does this all add up to? You'll see a lot of Jeeps at the SEMA show, year after year.
Surely this year will be no different. At this point, this SURGE rendering is all that we've seen regarding the plan for Jeep at SEMA. Here's what we can decipher from the image. Firstly, the blue E is in line with Jeep's current 4Xe models. There's no doubt that this will be an electrified Jeep of some sort. Keen eyes will also note that the badge on the side of the Jeep in the image says "EV". Will we finally see an all electric Wrangler this year? Certainly a possibility. Although, we can't help but notice that the ambiguous Jeep shape doesn't quite look like a current JL model. Maybe Jeep is showcasing some kind of 4Xe crate engine? Ford chose SEMA 2021 to release the Eluminator E-crate motor, maybe there's a chance!
What About Ram At SEMA 2022?
Although not quite as focused on individualization as Jeep, Ram does offer plenty of their own accessories that can be purchased through dealerships. In the aftermarket, there are many options available to customize these trucks. Ram trucks are some of the most popular in America, for both work and play. Aftermarket suppliers in the truck segment are not clueless to this fact.
Neither is Ram. The manufacturer has brought many concepts to life at the SEMA show over the years. In 2021, they showed off the Ram Outdoorsman, a truck that uses the Mopar accessory catalog to inspire both individuality and adventure. This year it looks like we'll see at least two concept trucks from the brand. First, the Vandervoord concept. It's worth noting that the name Vandervoord is only shown at the bottom right of the rendering, making it unclear if this is the name of the vehicle or not. Regardless of name, the truck has a very obvious detail shown. It appears that we're looking at a bed cap/canopy of some kind that goes over the bedsides in a dramatic fashion. Almost as if Ram used the RamBox bedsides to allow the canopy to mount lower than usual. Maybe they've incorporated some kind of storage solution here as well. The rest of the truck looks to be rugged and perhaps a bit overland in design, with aggressive tires and fender flares that are easy to spot.
Ram is also working on some kind of TRX based concept. The rendering is even more vague than the others. We can spot a yellow/white color combo and that's about it. Looks like we'll have to wait until November 1st to see what this one is all about.