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2022 Chevy Silverado HD gains Multi-Flex tailgate as an option

GM is spreading the Multi-Pro Tailgate love around its truck lineup, and the Silverado HD is the latest pickup to gain the option. Just like the 2021 Silverado 1500, Chevy uses the “Multi-Flex” name for it in the HD, eschewing GMCÂ’s “Multi-Pro” branding for the bowtie vehicles. YouÂ’ll be able to option the tailgate on 2022 model year Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models. ItÂ’ll be available optionally in every trim, so thereÂ’s no need to grab a more expensive trim to gain access to the trick tailgate — youÂ’re also not required to take it in higher trims. Functionality is the same as the standard Silverado and Sierra.  The primary gate opens and closes like any other tailgate out there. ThereÂ’s a primary gate load stopper that allows you to put the gate down and still keep things from flying out the back (it can also be arranged such that the load stopper is at a higher height by using the inner gateÂ’s stopper). The inner gate folds down perpendicular to the ground to allow closer access to the bed. A full-width step is available if you fold both “gates” down and pop out the inner panel. And lastly, the inner gate can be lowered to use it as a small work space. You can watch the short video above to get a quick run through of all the positions, or scroll through the gallery at the top of this post. Besides the tailgate, Chevy says the 2022 Silverado HD is gaining a new Greenstone Metallic exterior paint color. Other changes for 2022 were not detailed at this time, but Chevy says the trucks with this tailgate should be available sometime this summer. Related video:

Chevy says not to look at the 2019 Silverado's fuel economy rating

The 2019 Chevy Silverado is hitting dealerships soon, and one of the most notable changes for the new full-size pickup is the addition of a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four. The engine replaces the naturally-aspirated 4.3-liter V6 in volume consumer models like the Silverado LT and promises more power, less weight and — most importantly — better fuel economy. The thing is, the gains in efficiency haven't been as dramatic as some might have hoped, especially when stacked up against competitors from Ford and Ram. As Automotive News reports, GM's response is a little murky. First, let's talk numbers. We're pulling all figures from FuelEconomy.gov, the official U.S. government source for fuel ratings. Fuel economy numbers on trucks vary greatly based on a number of factors. Bed and cab configuration play a part, but so does a four-wheel-drive system. You also have to factor in tires, transmissions, rear-axle gearing, hybrid systems and cylinder deactivation. Things like that can make the difference between best- and worst-in-class. The EPA's website doesn't give enough information a lot of the time, so there's really no easy way to compare apples-to-apples. First, take a look at the ratings for the 2019 Silverado. A 2.7-liter model with two-wheel drive is rated 20 city, 23 highway and 21 combined. That's both better and worse than a two-wheel drive 2018 Silverado with the 4.3-liter V6 (18 city, 24 highway and 20 combined). The updated 2019 Silverado with a 4.3-liter V6 has yet to be rated. With less weight and a smaller engine, many hoped Chevy would make bigger gains. It's unusual to see any decrease in a fuel economy metric these days. GM says that it's not done tuning the new 2.7-liter engine, so fuel economy could theoretically increase. Expanding further, a V8-powered 2019 Silverado (17 city, 24 highway and 19 combined) actually gets better highway fuel economy than a turbocharged four-cylinder powered truck in certain configurations, even if the latter has a better overall average. But that's only with two-wheel drive, the 8-speed transmission and cylinder deactivation. A Silverado with the 5.3-liter V8 and a 6-speed automatic is rated at 15 city, 22 highway and 17 combined. The biggest issue with the Silverado 2.7-liter doesn't come from within GM itself but from Ford and Ram. GM cites the Ford F-150 with the 3.3-liter V6 and the Ram 1500 with the 3.6-liter V6 as the closest competitors to its new 2.7-liter inline-four.

Nissan Frontier and a mid-engine Mustang | Autoblog Podcast #622

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They discuss news about the 2020 and 2021 Nissan Frontier, as well as a mystery Mustang and classic luxury coupes. After that, they talk about cars from the fleet including Chevy Silverados and the long-term Volvo S60 T8. Autoblog Podcast #622 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2020 and 2021 Nissan Frontier updates 1966 mid-engine Mustang prototype Personal luxury coupes Cars we're driving 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 Trail Boss 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD 2020 Volvo S60 T8 plug-in hybrid Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: