Report: Chevrolet Silverado to Gain GMC's Trick Tailgate
The all-new 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 arrived with many new items in tow, but one of the most notable was the brand’s MultiPro tailgate — a hinge-heavy piece of hardware capable of assisting box entry, acting as a workshop, serving up drinks, or blasting tunes.
For an automaker that criticized Ford so-called “Man Step,” MultiPro was akin to one of those staircase escalators for geriatric homeowners. Still, it possessed strong marketing potential, and it might soon appear on bowtie-badged trucks.
A report from GM Authority claims the tailgate-within-a-tailgate will appear in the Chevy table under a new name — Multi-Flex, or perhaps MultiFlex.
The feature will reportedly appear sometime in the 2021 model year, or in the 2022 Silverado stable, if pandemic-related shutdowns pushed development efforts back too far. That’s the year GM plans to spice up its Silverado with a mid-cycle refresh, complete with a belatedly jazzy new interior. CarBuzz reports that GM Trucks confirmed the addition for mid-2021, adding that the name MultiFlex will appear on sales brochures.
The feature likely wouldn’t be made available on all Silverados, but it might serve to bring MultiPro/MultiFlex to the masses at a lower purchase price. Currently, MultiPro is only available on Sierra 1500s in SLT trim and above.
How exactly MultiFlex would differ from the GMC offering isn’t known, but GM Authority claims sources say one or two new features will set it apart from GMC’s unit. The outlet previously published photos of a 2020 Silverado HD test rig sporting just such a tailgate (cleverly disguised by a rubber mat folded over the rear of the bed).
As Chevy, and GM as a whole, finds itself facing its stiffest competition in years from a well-regarded Ram 1500 and new-for-2021 Ford F-150, any new feature capable of sparking consumer interest is a a piece of ammo it can use.
[Images: Steph Willems/TTAC]
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How about a MultiFlex tailgate as an aftermarket replacement for the Colorado as well? The benefits are more than just being a couple of steps up into a too-high bed, after all.
GM should spend more money improving their rubbish interiors.