Chevrolet Reportedly Limits 2027 Silverado Multi-Flex Tailgate to Three Trims, Raises Price $150

The redesigned 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is expected to gain updated technology, but buyers will reportedly have fewer ways to obtain one of the truck’s most practical cargo features. The Multi-Flex tailgate will be restricted to the Trail Boss, High Country and ZR2 trims, according to GM Authority.

The change combines narrower availability with a higher option price. Multi-Flex will cost $595 on the 2027 Trail Boss and High Country, up from $445 on eligible 2026 models a $150 increase. The more specialized ZR2 will continue to include the system as standard equipment.

That leaves four of the seven listed 2027 trims without access to Multi-Flex: Work Truck, Custom, Silverado and Custom Trail Boss. For 2026, the configurable tailgate was offered across most of the Silverado 1500 range, although cab configuration affected availability. The 2027 restriction therefore changes more than the cost of an isolated option; it reduces the number of truck configurations that can be paired with the hardware.

Why Multi-Flex is more than a styling feature

A conventional pickup tailgate has two principal states: closed for cargo retention and open for loading. Multi-Flex adds a hinged inner section that allows the assembly to serve several other functions without requiring a separate step, bench or cargo barrier.

Chevrolet’s current description of the system lists six configurations. The inner gate can help users reach farther into the bed, provide a work surface, support second-tier loading or create a load stop that helps prevent long items from sliding out. It can also fold into a full-width access step that Chevrolet says supports up to 375 pounds.

Those functions address ordinary pickup-truck usability problems. Modern full-size trucks have relatively high beds, making repeated entry and exit more demanding when loading tools, equipment or supplies. An integrated step creates a more direct path into the cargo box, while the work-surface and load-stop modes let the same mechanical assembly support different jobs. The design does add hinges, latches and operating positions compared with a basic tailgate, but its value comes from consolidating several cargo-management functions into hardware carried on the vehicle.

That is why trim availability matters. A buyer selecting a truck around budget, suspension setup, cabin equipment or commercial use may no longer be able to add Multi-Flex independently. Under the reported 2027 structure, obtaining the tailgate could require moving to one of three eligible trims rather than paying only the $595 option charge. The ZR2 avoids that separate charge because the feature remains standard, but it is still one of only three routes to the system.

A technology-rich redesign with a narrower hardware choice

The restriction arrives alongside a broad Silverado revision. The 2027 truck is expected to receive new exterior styling, a heavily reworked cabin, larger displays and a new generation of small-block V8 engines. The 3.0-liter Duramax diesel remains in the range, as does an updated 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder.

Inside, the listed standard equipment includes a 16.3-inch center display and a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Higher trims can add an 11.5-inch front-passenger display, while Super Cruise with trailer capability remains available. Those upgrades expand the truck’s digital interface and driver-assistance offering, but they do not offset the loss of configuration freedom for buyers who value physical bed access more than additional cabin technology.

The $150 increase is modest when viewed against the total price of a full-size pickup, yet it is only part of the consumer consequence. The larger change is that Multi-Flex moves from broad availability to three trims. For buyers who use its step, cargo stops or work surface, the 2027 ordering decision may now be determined as much by tailgate access as by the truck’s engine, cabin or suspension package.

By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.