SEMA News—January 2020
INDUSTRY NEWS
Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.
’20 Gladiator HerculesWhile the ’20 Jeep Gladiator is already in dealer showrooms, this particular Gladiator was still covered in vinyl camouflage on the streets of metropolitan Detroit. According to the latest rumors, a so-called “Hercules” model would be a high-performance Gladiator to compete with the likes of the Ranger Raptor and Colorado ZR-2. While it is unlikely that the Hercules would be powered by a Hemi, the upcoming GME-T6 or Global Medium Engine turbo six-cylinder is in the upcoming pipeline. Sources have said that high-output versions of that engine could have around 500 hp. |  |
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’21 Cadillac EscaladeThe upcoming ’21 Cadillac Escalade is still running in full camo, but engineers did remove an important part of the cladding—the covering over part of the front end—providing a first look at the production-intent grille. As shown by the photos, the grille follows the general design pattern introduced by the Cadillac XT4 and CT5. Also take note of the size of this thing: The grille looks truly massive, giving the upcoming luxury SUV a great deal of presence on the road. The next-gen Escalade is expected to launch for the ’21 model year. It will represent a complete redesign over the current model. |  |
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’20 Wrangler StormtrooperFCA continues to leverage its Disney/Star Wars sponsorship with new vehicles that use the film franchise’s likenesses—in this case, a Storm Trooper icon on the side of a Jeep Wrangler. Similar to other movie tie-ins, this Wrangler will consist mostly of trim and equipment bundles (Fox shocks, Warn winch, LED foglights), and the trim changes appear to be modest based on these photos. If this is truly a Storm Trooper package, expect an announcement shortly, ahead of the release of Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker on December 20. |  |
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