The 2021 Chevy Silverado has been the source of a lot of big news this season. Given that this pickup truck was already one of the most dominant models on the roads today, Chevy’s improvements to its prize-winning icon mean that there are more reasons than ever before to visit a Chevy dealer near you. Perhaps the greatest innovation to the 2021 Chevy Silverado is the installation of a brand-new multifunction tailgate. If you are wondering why there is so much hype for this specific feature, then read on.

To put it simply, a multifunction tailgate is one of the few modern truck features that the 2020 Chevy Silverado did not have. The new Multi-Flex tailgate on the 2021 Chevy Silverado corrects this oversight and makes the truck more versatile when it comes to what pickups do best – moving large items. This new tailgate dramatically increases the functionality of the already high-performing Silverado with several different positions that suit different everyday tasks that often give truck owners trouble.

What Does the New Tailgate Do?

The Chevy Multi-Flex tailgate builds on the popular GMC MultiPro tailgate, bringing the same level of versatility to the Silverado that the Sierra already enjoys. While a normal tailgate only has two positions (open and closed), the Multi-Flex tailgate offers no fewer than seven different positions that are each optimized for a different common task. From accessing the bed to securing heavy items, the Multi-Flex tailgate makes living with a pickup easier than ever before.

Primary Gate

The first two positions of the new Multi-Flex tailgate are the same ones you will find on any pickup truck – open and closed. While these positions may not be the most exciting, they remain a vital aspect of any tailgate. Whether filling the bed up with loose gravel or hosting an impromptu tailgate party, the traditional functions remain the bread and butter of a pickup truck’s tailgate.

However, that doesn’t mean that Chevy is content to not improve on these basic positions. With remote lock and unlock, as well as dampers to keep the tailgate from slamming open when you unlatch it, even the most traditional features of a tailgate have been upgraded with the Chevy Silverado. But this is just the beginning of everything that the new Multi-Flex tailgate offers.

Primary Gate Load Stop

The primary gate load stop position is used to secure long items that will not fit in the bed with the tailgate up. In order to use this position, simply open the tailgate normally and then fold up the small load stop located at the trailing edge. This creates a small lip that will prevent items, such as plywood boards, from sliding out when you accelerate or go uphill. While this may seem like a small feature, it makes hauling cargo much safer.

In fact, the issue of sliding cargo is a large problem with traditional tailgates. There is simply no good way to easily secure some types of cargo, resulting in damaged or lost loads on bumpy or curvy roads, which is never a good thing. With the new primary gate load stop position, securing items will no longer require yards of rope and tie-downs.

Foldable Inner Gate

Honestly speaking, this is one of the most interesting innovations offered by the Multi-Flex tailgate. If you are having trouble reaching cargo deep in the bed, the foldable inner gate lets you fold the central section of the tailgate down and out of the way. This handy addition can make loading and unloading smaller items such as boxes much simpler as you no longer have to lean over the tailgate to place them in the bed or remove them.

Full-Width Step

The full-width step is exactly what it sounds like; it creates a step using the full length of the primary gate. This position builds on the previous one. After the tailgate is open and you have folded the central section down out of the way, you can then fold up the section that is used to create the load stop to serve as a step. Pickup trucks these days are more capable than ever before, but that capability also means that they are larger than ever before, and climbing into the bed of a modern truck can take some effort – especially if your hands are full with cargo or tools.

The functionality implications of having a full-width step available are very well-rounded, reaching from loading assistance to comfort. Overall, the biggest implication is obviously for loading packages, generally following two different usages: loading cargo and accessing cargo.

When loading cargo, you can either use the step as a footstep to increase traction when lifting heavier items or by acting as a lower table. The latter of the two is more useful for items that are too heavy to lift into the bed in one go, allowing you to place the item on the step to recover some strength before lifting the item into the bed. The former is more suited to items that aren’t as heavy, in which using the folding position would be more steps than necessary, but is still too heavy to easily reach the standard primary gate position. Essentially, the full-width step is the perfect middle ground between loading heavy items and moderate packages.

As far as accessing cargo, this suits situations where cargo is not as easily reached from the ground, such as in the cases of large boxed goods. In traditional tailgates, this would require frequent jumps onto the bed. Using this step, accessing the bed is more like walking up a set of stairs, which saves energy and potentially prevents worksite injuries. And, of course, this does make unloading a large item from the bed easier as well.

The full-width step also has implications for comfort. While the full-width step is definitely more suited to act as a step, it can also act as a seat as well. In a way, just think about sitting on a stairwell, and the full-width step will work in the same way.

Inner Gate Load Stop

The inner gate load stop pretty much works in the same way as the primary gate load stop, in that it is designed to help stabilize sliding items. Unlike the primary gate load stop, however, the inner gate load stop doesn’t require the gate itself to be open while driving. Instead, the inner gate load stop unfolds while the tailgate is closed, which is useful for securing large items when you also have smaller items in the bed. But because the primary gate is closer to the inner gate load stop, this will sacrifice some cargo length and cause longer items to stick up at an angle.

Inner Gate Work Surface

The inner gate work surface is perhaps the only gate position that doesn’t have an implication for loading items. Essentially, this position makes a small work table out of half of the primary gate while in a closed position. This is perfect for a craftsman or other handyman as it allows for an easy workspace on the move where one could edit blueprints, draft ideas, or any number of other tasks that would normally require a more professional working table to complete.

What’s the Big Picture?

All in all, there is a lot to look forward to this coming season for Chevy vehicle models, especially pickup trucks. The 2021 Chevy Silverado’s Multi-Flex tailgate alone offers great improvements to the functionality of a pickup truck, with several positions that enhance the tailgate’s loading ability, comfort, and overall potential. To top it off, that was only one of the Chevy Silverado’s many new features this coming model year, leaving a lot to look forward to in the model’s newest iteration. As such, there is no better reason to visit Dan Cummins Chevy Buick and see the new 2021 Chevy Silverado.

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