Look, we’ve done it too, rhapsodizing about people who plunk down very big cash – priced a full-size pickup lately? – for an option-laden truck that they use for commuting or swinging by the hair salon, rarely carrying anything but air in the cargo bed. Yeah, it’s a stereotype, but it also has had considerable grounding in fact. A lot of us use our trucks as cars, or toys. And a lot of us still traditionally use them for work, which is why it’s so gratifying to know that automakers are building impressive job-site utility into their new-generation haulers. To that chorus, we add the vocals of Chevrolet, whose 2021 Silverado 1500 will newly offer a Multi-Flex Tailgate with six selectable functions early next calendar year.
Borrowed from GMC’s successful tailgate option, the Multi-Flex panel is essentially a tailgate within a tailgate, with both sections powered through the owner’s key fob or pushbuttons mounted on the outside of the truck. The system has a weight capacity of 375 pounds. When paired with the optional Silverado Durabed, the truck can be outfitted with LED lighting, an onboard 120-volt outlet and an even dozen cargo tie-downs. Even with its base engine, a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four, the 2021 Silverado will still boast a trailering capacity of 9,600 pounds, with the optional 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel boosting that capability by an additional 1,900 pounds. Production of the new Silverado commences this month.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 