It was only a matter of time after GM introduced the MultiPro tailgate for the 2019 GMC Sierra that another automaker would imitate GMC’s ingenuity. That competitor was the 2019 Ram 1500 with its new barn-style split tailgate system that looks to add functionality in its own unique way. However, not everyone is impressed with Ram’s efforts, including Tim Herrick, executive chief engineer for GM’ full-size pickup trucks. Herrick spoke with The Drive about the automaker’s all-new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra while sizing up the competition, too.
Herrick said a ‘barn-door’ style tailgate doesn’t offer enough additional functionality over a traditional tailgate. It’s also not the first time an automaker has used such a design. Herrick said such a tailgate in the past did not earn much acceptance among consumers. GM even considered a barn-style tailgate when developing the next-gen GMC Sierra; however, the automaker ultimately decided against it, opting for the MultiPro design.
GMC Sierra program engineer Roger Olle touched on why the Sierra didn’t opt for a barn door in the MultiPro tailgate design, and summarized that it’s because it doesn’t package well with a step, which was a major priority for the team. At the same time, the goal of integrating the step was not to compromise functionality.
While the 2019 Ram 1500’s multifunction tailgate lacks a step, one is optional for $295 on top of the $995 required for the barn-door tailgate. However, unlike GMC’s MultiPro tailgate, Ram’s barn-door tailgate is available across the entire 1500 range.
Herrick also touched on Ford and its efforts to electrify the F-150. He mimicked GM CEO Mary Barra’s remarks from earlier this month saying the company believes in an all-electric future. However, he also said he couldn’t comment on future products. There’s no indication the company is developing an electric Silverado. There are rumors, though, the company could invest in Rivian, which introduced the R1T, an electric truck last year.
Comments
Both are gimmicks, in the case of GMC one that results in a dented tailgate if there is a hitch in the receiver when the step goes down.
If you can’t handle not lowering the sub-gate when there’s a hitch installed you probably shouldn’t be driving a truck. Maybe you shouldn’t be driving anything at all. It’s really not that complicated.
Incidentally, there’s nothing gimmicky about it. If you’re in your 20s and you drive a truck like it’s a car, never dealing with the bed, then I can see how you could come to that conclusion. I sell these trucks and you wouldn’t believe how many guys are switching brands over it. Most are baby boomers who actually use their trucks as trucks. It is a HUGE difference for them. If it doesn’t add value to you that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t add value for anyone.
You’re right that I don’t believe many are switching brands over it.
He needs to improve the interior of both the Silverado and Sierra before he can criticize anyone else.
I see this comment occasionally, especially on YouTube, but I haven’t found anyone to actually explain it to me yet. What is it you want improved, exactly? What is objectively, not subjectively, lacking with the interior of the new truck?
Side question if you have time; What does that have to do with a discussion that is specifically about the tailgate?
Adaptive Cruise Control?
12″ multimedia screen?
Generally, a cabin that is more upscale with better quality materials. Sit in a RAM and then one of the new GM trucks. It is night and day. The RAM feels well made, with good design and materials. The GM trucks are fine, but when compared to the competition they are lacking. I love GM, and I think they make some great vehicles. But the attitude of “good enough” simply does not work anymore.
I’ve been in both and I don’t agree with the conclusion/judgement, but I appreciate you responding.
Personally I’ve handled thousands of cars and trucks, and in my experience relying on touch screens for too much is a big mistake. Even without the many videos and reports of the system in the new Rams freezing during trade show demos I was concerned about that system. Time will tell, but I’m betting it will prove terribly unreliable and expensive to fix. With the GMC you lose audio and wifi controls and such, but climate control and other cabin controls are all still accessible by actual dials.
It reminds me of the difference between a professional SLR camera and a consumer-grade version. Generally speaking they can both do almost all of the same things, but the pro grade has more physical controls so you don’t have to dig through menus to change key functions. You’d hate to miss an important shot while navigating those menus to make that change. Yet Dodge/Ram insist on burying functions that most drivers deal with frequently while driving in a touchscreen interface. I think that’s foolish at best, and certainly less convenient, but undeniably more shiny to have a touchscreen dominate the dash. Mostly subjective, I know, just presenting the other side of that “which interior is better” matter.
He didn’t say anything about the touchscreen. He said the cabin is more upscale with better quality materials.
As for touchscreens, well, Dodge has been doing those for a pretty good while now… And if you actually look at the RAM 12″ screen, you will see that it still has dedicated buttons for the climate control, as well as being able to control it via the touchscreen. As for being expensive to fix, well, repair cost is moot if it doesn’t break. My ’09 RAM 1500 has a touchscreen with 190,000 miles on it and it hasn’t broken yet…
So, like a pro SLR camera, the RAM 12″ setup lets you do everything on the touchscreen, but it still has the most important controls duplicated as physical buttons and knobs – including audio (which you said you lose on the GMC).
I agree, this desire to have a limo interior in a truck is a joke! Do people even use their trucks for work anymore?
Who needs a 12 inch touch screen? And what for in a truck! If you told me a Escalade I’d say I understand! But not a truck that’s supposed to be used for work
I’m exactly the kind of person that uses a truck for it’s original purpose: To do work. I haul, I tow, I pull and push, and I jump in and out of it dirty or clean. If I could get a new truck with manual windows, rubber floor, and sturdy cloth seats I would. I’d even opt for manual locking hubs on a 4×4 instead of electronics/pneumatics.
That being said, I can see the value of a touch screen display. It makes it much easier to navigate maps when you simply tap the icon on the screen instead of trying to navigate menus with buttons. As long as the touchscreen wasn’t in sole control of too much necessary stuff (instead of like the Dodge/Ram setup) I’d gladly have it.
Well, a couple of years have gone by and you appear to be one of the very few that doesn’t see a difference in quality as it relates to interiors.
I think in general, the idea comes from the fact that a Sierra is $5-10k more than an identical Ram, but you’re not getting 5-10k more in interior quality,looks, options, feel, or anything for that matter. Besides this tailgate.
On top of that, Ram just won MTTOTY. Something that GMC has never done with their larger price tags.
IMO Dodge’s design is more practical. The barn door design makes it a lot easier to unload freight where the tailgate would normally stand in the way (even the Multipro tailgate all the way down won’t give you the same amount of bed access from the ground as the split door would).
The GM engineer’s excuse about the integrated bumper steps not working with a split tailgate design doesn’t hold water. One could easily integrate a 3rd (and/or 4th) step into the bumper that would flank the license plate holder.
Comparing the two, I’ll take the RAM with the barn door tailgate over that other awkward looking thing anyday!
What does, “unlike GMC’s MultiPro tailgate, Ram’s barn-door tailgate is available across the entire 1500 range” mean? Was GMC supposed to retrofit this to the previous generation trucks that are still for sale? I sell these trucks and I don’t get it. You have to specifically order a new truck without it in order to not get it. Unless you mean fleet sales (“work truck” builds)?? We don’t deal with fleet sales so I don’t know about those, but every other current generation Sierra gets the multi-pro tailgate.
Oh, and I can’t believe anyone is covering the Ram tailgate without referencing the Lincoln Blackwood every time. Missed opportunity. 😉
According to this, it’s only available on half of the trim levels:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gmc/sierra/2019-gmc-sierra/2019-gmc-sierra-features/2019-gmc-sierra-multipro-tailgate/
If it’s not useful on a work truck, what makes it useful on a higher level trim?
Also, did the Blackwood tailgate also open down, like a traditional tailgate?
That article is definitely wrong, since SLEs come with it standard.
Elevation is a joke. They forced a few units on every store and no one wants to buy one. Forgot to consider that. I’ve only seen old body Elevations. Are they doing new body versions? I really hoped that would die since they’re just taking up space on our lot and on our allocation so we can’t order 4 more real trucks.
Sierra trim level is what I’m talking about when I say “work truck”. The kind of thing that your city might order for code inspectors or parks dept workers to drive around. Vinyl flooring, no floor mats, AM/FM radio (no bluetooth or Apple Carplay or any of that), 2WD, no tow hitch, no bed liner, steel wheels, etc. That’s what “work truck” means at least on the sales side of things. So “If it’s not useful on a work truck, what makes it useful on a higher level trim?” then applies to every single feature that isn’t one one of those. What good as 4WD? What good is a tow hitch? What good is carpet or power seats or integrated trailer brake controller or backup camera or Apple Carplay or leather seats? Kind of a silly question, don’t you think? Of course they don’t put this tailgate on fleet level vehicles that don’t even get carpet. If you’re shopping for that kind of truck then the style of the tailgate isn’t going to matter at all, except in how it affects the price.
No, the Blackwood tailgate didn’t open both ways. Only barn door style. But I didn’t say the Ram tailgate is exactly the same as the Blackwood. I said it’s a missed opportunity to not reference it.
I don’t think it’s a silly question or I wouldn’t have asked it.
Nobody said the work trucks should come standard with it. But, it’s a feature that SEEMS like it would be a practical, functional thing. In which case, you might actually want it on your work truck. Like I said before, any time you’re not planning to leave the tailgate down while driving, the side opening doors could be useful. So, if it REALLY IS a useful, practical feature, why not offer it as an option even on the work truck trim levels?
Not the same thing at all as rubber mats versus carpet.
Anyway, you are the one that asked what it means to say that they need to offer it across the entire 1500 range. I just told you what it meant. No need to debate it with me.
The GMC Multi-pro tailgate is standard on SLT,AT4 and Denali trim trucks. It is not available on SLE, Elevation or any other trim. GM wants you to buy the higher trim trucks because that’s where they make the most $$. GM circa 2019 is about making the most money on every unit and that’s it.
Unless I’m going to leave the tailgate down while I’m driving, there is no benefit to me whatsoever in having the tailgate between me and the bed while I’m putting stuff in or taking stuff out. It just makes me have to lean over and reach farther. On the other hand, since I have the tailgate closed the vast majority of the time, being able to open it out to the sides while I’m putting stuff in or pulling stuff out seems like it would be very nice. When I’m loading heavier items into the back (e.g. scuba tanks or PA equipment or whatever), not having to put it on the tailgate then slide it across to get it into the bed would be nice.
Also, being able to open the gate to the sides and step up using the bumper kind of eliminates the need I would have for a special step.
The MultiPro tailgate looks cool. But, the new Dodge tailgate looks quite a bit more useful for the things I do.
You should try it in-person first. Go touch both before you decide. The Multi-Pro accomplishes just what you’re describing, and it comes with a much nicer truck attached. 😉
How does the MP accomplish the same thing when I have a drawbar with a hitch ball in place? Or when I have a trailer hooked up?
I don’t expect to ever buy another vehicle without adaptive cruise control, so the GMC is not really even a consideration.
Since the “nicer” part is completely subjective and I have no bias coming from selling one type or the other, I’ll just let the rest of the comment go other than to say that the Ford and Dodge interiors are plenty nice enough for my taste.
These new ideas with tailgates are interesting. When discussing them it seems to often mention people who “use” their trucks. Well as a guy who has “used” trucks for actual work all my life, I can tell you the first thing damaged on a work truck is the tailgate. Now it’s a 5000 dollar repair instead of a 500 dollar repair. Your grandpa will love them though.
I have definitely never used my truck as a work truck. I use it to haul my toys. 6 or 700 pounds of scuba cylinders plus a pile of related gear at a time, for 3 guys going on a big dive trip. Or 2 motorcycles in the bed and riding gear, coolers, etc, for a weekend trip to the mountains. Or band PA equipment for a gig. Or pulling a 28′ camper trailer. Or pulling a 14′ cargo trailer filled with track bikes and tools. Or moving furniture when I get the inevitable calls from friends that don’t have a truck. Etc..
I think these new tailgate ideas are going to be really handy. The Dodge one looking the most useful right now for what I do.
And in 30-ish years of owning pickups, I have never damaged a tailgate yet. Effed up a few bumpers, though….
If you got the money and can wait a year, get the Rivian. It’s actually a game changer instead of the same old stuff with gimmicks attached.
For my, and my wife’s use, the Ram tailgate would be much more useful.
Jon Miller disagrees with this comment
I was suprised to hear GMC was calling them trucks I thought they were cars with beds. There is a reason Ford is on top and Ram is coming up . GM makes cheap vehicles! To the comment its a game changer and people that use trucks are buying because of this gimmick. Well they have never hauled 10,000 lbs of cattle in a hilly pasture. Hauled a ton of feed or anything in there bed. Go back to driving your El camino Chevy boys!
It is spelled “their” bed, genius. You appear dumb when you spell words out of context while insulting others.
As i said before, if it wasnt for fiat. The brand loyal fiat/Chrysler fans would have nothing to argue about. So in short dodge friends here to put gm down. Better thank the Italians for the input, otherwise it would still be hideous. Cheers.
The only people who drive Dodge pickups are people who work there, or people who can’t afford real trucks.
Both silly. But these are things that 2020 newly adult kids will need in their daily lives. Both tailgates dumb in my vote.
Everyone has a preference. To each, their own. Personally, I prefer the Ford and Dodge, because they’re both practical and built with work in mind, where as the GM vehicles are built with luxury in mind. I own a 1980 Dodge Club Cab, and it still does all the work I need it to do. I’ve had both Chevy and Ford pickups, both very capable of performing whatever I tasked them with. Both, very luxurious inside and out. The Ford and Dodge are by far easier and less expensive to repair or perform normal, regularly scheduled maintainence on, where as, the Chevy, well, let’s just say it costs more to maintain, and was therefore an easy target for trade, when it came time to choose which truck I was willing to let go of.
Of course, this is all based on personal experience. Your experience, I expect, may be different. As for MY experience, I have over 30 years, and 2 million plus miles behind me.
Yea your right F150 $3000-4000 dollars to change spark plugs and comparable Chevy $160 at dealership. Or having to lift the cab on Ford for most any repair sounds less expensive to repair.
The Ram tailgate appears to be way more useful assuming they open wide enough for the fork lift to get in there. Always a pain. They sit the load on the tailgate then regrab it and slide it in. This would be a huge improvement. The GM tailgate just looks dumb.
I am looking at a new pickup and have been for a while now. Won’t be able to afford one till the end of the year at least. I like this new multipro tailgate idea. I think for my purposes it could save me from having to buy a crew cab with the standard bed and instead I could get by with the short bed make the vehicle easier to drive/park in tight situations.
The Ram tailgate would be of little use to me by comparison for what I want to use it for. A regular tailgate would most likely be better. That said, I have experience with GM/Ford/Dodge (Ram)/and Toyota owners in my group of family and friends. The Fords have been by far the biggest pieces of junk and so I am not considering them at all. The Dodges have worked well over many years of ownership. The GM’s have lasted nearly as well while racking up 2 – 3 times as many miles. Now most of my people have Tundras. So I am waiting till the next Tundra comes out to see if it can catch up to the American trucks. I am not that into tech but the Tundra is so far behind it is embarrassing. I won’t be putting a lot of miles on whatever I buy, somewhere between 3K and 8K a year so I am not worried if it will go 2,3,4 or 500K miles but it is not arguable that Tundras hold their value exceptionally well so I will give the new one a look if I can wait that long.
As far as comments about the Ram being cheaper to the comparable GMC, I am just not seeing that in my research. To me the Ram is superior interior, ride quality, and looks. The GMC is superior build, performance, utility, and capability. The Ford is a non starter but it seems to be the truck for people who don’t need a full size truck and just want to have one. The Nissan is a strange one. I live approximately half a mile from a Nissan dealer. I pass it several times a week. I have seen a total of approximately 5 Titans for sale there in the last year or so. It seems like Nissan doesn’t really care much to sell them. They don’t stick out in any area that interests me and I am generally not a big Nissan fan.
And to Jon Miller. Some of your comments are just obtuse. It discredits any good arguments you may have and people tune you out. I hope you don’t treat people at your dealership like that. If you were trying to sell me a truck and made some of those comments I would just walk off the lot never to see you or your employer again.
Do you realize the Dodge tailgate also works like a regular tailgate? It flips down, just like any normal tailgate. OR you can open it out to the sides.
You’re loosing 2 extra feet having the tailgate this way a 6 foot box plus a 2 foot tailgate witch helps alot
Couple questions….
First, huh? How are you losing ‘2 extra feet’? The tailgate still folds down. Secondly, why is there a ‘witch’ in this scenario? Did you mean ‘which’? Or ‘winch’? ‘Watch’ maybe? Not following.
Reminds me of the laughable GM commercial about aluminum in Ford pickups. We all knew GM would be walking it back. The Silverado showing up as most unreliable in Consumer Reports shines a light on how low GM has dropped.
Not looking good GM….. And that comment isn’t about the fugly Silverado.
I notice how he states the price of the RAM tailgate, but not the price of the GM ‘technogate’. I guess those Bluetooth Kicker speakers and receiver are pretty pricey. I’d say his comments make him sound like he’s scared.
I have a 2018 Silverado with “Eassist”…so in regards to the comment about whether or not gm will be doing electric trucks, yes I believe they are. Not impressed with mine so far however….but I still by Chevy cuz it’s my tradition. Haven’t been overly disappointed with any Chevy I’ve owned, so I’m not gonna change my ways now. Too bad I can’t fit the new style tailgate on my truck. I’d love to have it!
All this back and forth about who has the better design of the new tailgate is kind of funny, they all solve similar issues but in a different fashion so in my opinion they all work. But the funny thing is if you think back about eight or nine years when Ford came out with the “old man step”, the other manufacturers especially Chevy GM went crazy saying how it was useless. To me either one of them works and they each have their disadvantages, yes I understand that if you can’t remember that you have a ball hitch and you drop the GM tailgate on it it will probably be dented with a nice price tag to repair. I saw someone said that if you can’t remember about the ball hitch you shouldn’t be driving a truck, but I’m pretty sure that most of us who use the hitch on a regular basis have at one point forgot about that ball and smashed are shin on it. As for the barn doors I can see a lot of people closing the wrong door before the other but my understanding Ram has put in a piece of molded rubber to prevent that from damaging the door. It’s kind of interesting to see how all of this is playing out, and it’s exciting to see the two manufacturers go back and forth while Ford just hangs out in the background. I’m kind of interested to see what Ford might bring out in the future you try to one-up both of these well thought-out tailgates.
Punctuation is a thing.
I’m 32 growing up with my family!y and working different jobs and working in the auto mechanic area I say from owners experience in different vehicles drove and road in a tundra 4×4 4door with 5.7 plenty of power but suck on gas milage 14 mph with out a loaded trailer of lawn equipment then 12 mph with a loaded trailer and if u over heat it you warp the head s you gotta change them out can’t rework the heads cause it throws timing off ford now there’s a aluminum peace of junk don’t use that for a work truck that alum tears up too easily plus expensive on repairs now GMC and Chevy we all know it’s pretty much the same company just I think they are ok but my opinion there’s too much aluminum in their engine compartments now Dodge has the power and towing capacity plus also keeping gas milage in the trucks I had a Dodge it was a 2001 Dodge ram 1500 4×4 with 318 magnum was pushing 300,000 miles was sank in a flood drained fluids put fresh and cranked her right up caught on fire then was flipped on her side still ran and never died and was burning 5 quarts of oil a week rings where stuck on two cylinders but was running 15 40 diesel oil in it and it was cleaning it up and helping it when flipped it stayed running I loved that truck also pulled almot 9,000 pounds with her a trailer loaded with old engines for one of my old jobs also parts are cheaper for dodge
The GM can keep it’s ‘multipro’ gate. I’d rather have the standard Chevrolet one. You know, the same one that the GM Sierra commercials mock Ford for having. Well GM’s mocking Chevrolet too then. And if I had to choose a multipro vs the barn door style, I’d take the barn doors every time. It makes it far easier to load things. If Chevy has another tailgate option, I’d prefer it be that style myself. They had it before anyways. Every contractor I know loved the Astro van with the barn doors.
The first sentence of the article shows how much you researched the topic. First, if the Ram tailgate (which still opens traditionally downward AND swings open barndoorstyle) doesn’t do what the GM tailgate does (has six different folds and a built in step) then its design is different and it did not imitate its ingenuity. Second, Ram schematics for this tailgate have been being leaked for like 5 years so it’s not lile they just copied anything GM did in the last couple months.
I had an Chevy Astro with barn doors. I loved them and my wife didn’t like them. For me on a truck, nay nay. The drop down tail gate gives you the extra two feet to lay down long material. I like the tailgate because sometimes I use it as a work bench. Yes it tough to reach in the bed with the tailgate down. If someone rarely uses it as a truck but a grocery getter, barn doors may make sense.
I saw a guy with the new Sierra Denali picking up large sheets of plywood at a local home depot. I noticed that when he was loading the sheets, he didn’t even use the Multipro at all and loaded it as he would any other pickup. I went up to him to ask why and he told me that it’s not as useful as he thought it would be since he needed something to place the stacks of plywood level. He thinks that it’s actually safer to haul plywood with the tailgate completely closed with a tonneau cover like his old setup (his previous truck was a 2015 Sierra) than with the mini tailgate open because it could fly off if you hit a pothole or a bad patch of road.
He does like his new truck though and it was between that and a Ram Limited. The GMC dealership ended up giving him a better deal
I am a Ram owner / fan but I went to the GM dealer the other day to see their MultiPro. Not that intuitive to use, but I see its purpose. One thing I noticed is that stepping down from the bed, using the tailgate steps, is a bit tricky. Depending on the boots you are wearing, it could be a fall waiting to happen. That is why Ford allows for the grab handle. I highly doubt GM took into account the height of the riser and width of the step and the angle of descent when designing their gate. I would not want to be carrying anything while trying to use those steps. (Before anyone asks, I am 49 but very fit and active.)
On the Ram, you will only be able to get their gate with the RamBox, which is a non starter for me. The electronics that lock the gate are hidden in the encasement that protrudes into the side of the box, which is why it is not available in the regular box. I find the RamBox to be too small to carry a lot of stuff – you lose storage capacity.
However, the barn door is excellent for sweeping out the box. Many times I have swept out dirt and rocks, only to have them lodge between the gate and the truck box, or somewhere in the tailgate cavities. It’s a pain.
And as for the interior of the GM, it’s like the company doesn’t even care about their customers. They are relying on loyalty with no hint of offering a more comfortable interior. Sit in a GMC Denali, and the mid-spec Ram Rebel and you will see the difference.
Oh and as far as the screen is concerned, you can get three screen options in the Ram. The 8.4 with the redundant controls seems to be the best bet, and yes there are redundant controls on the 12-inch, too. My concern is the fingerprints on the 12 inch screen showing up too much. The 8.4 in my 2013 Ram Sport works just fine and suits my needs.
Has anybody been to Lizard Juice El Paso? 🙂