The 2022 SEMA Show is in the books. And as we continue to sift and parse through terabytes of radical builds, new products, concepts, and interviews, we’re left with our own impression that exhibitors loved vehicles like the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Bronco, and even the hard-to-get Ford Maverick. However, they received no official love from the SEMA organization. Evident by the 2022 SEMA Awards, the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association let Chevrolet and Ford know just how they felt about withdrawing from the annual trade show by giving almost all of the awards to Jeep, Ram and Dodge.
2022 SEMA Awards: Winners
SEMA announced the best new vehicles for personalization at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prestigious SEMA Awards are presented to exhibiting original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) annually to recognize automakers for supporting the aftermarket with vehicle platforms that encourage customization. There has also been a new category added this year for electric cars. This 2022 SEMA Awards winners are:
- Car of the Year: Dodge Challenger
- Sport Compact of the Year: Toyota GR86
- 4×4/SUV of the year: Jeep Wrangler
- Full-size Truck of the Year: Ram
- Mid-Size Truck of the Year: Jeep Gladiator
- Electric Vehicle of the Year: Volkswagen ID.4
Hm. Indeed, there were Jeeps aplenty throughout the various halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. And builders also had several Toyota GR86 coupes on display. Certainly more than the Dodge Challenger, or Volkswagen ID.4. From what we saw, there were a surprising amount of Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles at the 2022 SEMA Show, signaling strong interest in these entries, versus the Volkswagen. The same goes for the F-150 Raptor, versus the Ram, though it could be a coin toss. As for the Challenger, it could primarily be found at the official Dodge SEMA Show booth in the form of the limited-run Shakedown, Swinger, or Hellcat Jailbreak trim. Make of all this what you will.
