Six Functions, One Tailgate: The MultiPro Explained Before You Load the Truck

On most of the Sierra 1500 models the six-function MultiPro Tailgate is fitted as standard and is available as an option costing $445 on the other trims; it is now being offered on the Sierra HD SLT for 2026 and is standard equipment on the Sierra EV, which also offers an available MultiPro Midgate that folds the back wall of the cab down to carry items almost 11 feet long. 

You are at the lumber yard with twelve-foot trim boards and a short-bed truck. 

Everyone is familiar with the procedure: lower the tailgate, slide the boards until they dangle from the back, attach a red rag to the end, and then drive home at 40 mph while praying that nothing moves.

What it actually is

The MultiPro Tailgate was designed by a person who had carried out that task too many times; it combines two gates in one. There is the main gate, which operates just as any tailgate you've previously used does, and there is also a smaller inner gate incorporated into it which folds on its own.

By lifting and lowering the two parts in various combinations you can obtain six useful positions. The unit is made of aluminum, and GMC states that it is the most extensively tested tailgate in the company's history.

You use a touchpad which is located in the middle of the tailgate, directly above the GMC logo; there are two buttons, the one at the top opens the inner gate and the one at the bottom lowers the entire unit.

The six functions

This is one of the few places a list beats a paragraph, because each position solves a different problem:

• The main gate is a standard type of tailgate and can be opened using the key fob, from inside the cab, or by pressing the button on the gate.

• The stop for the main gate consists of a panel which folds up to form a barrier when the main gate is in the down position. This arrangement gives your lumber extra length without the risk of it slipping out from the back.

• Easy access: the inner gate folds down on its own, which enables you to stand  7 to 9 inches nearer to the bed floor. That's the difference between having to reach for an item and having to climb in after it.

• There is a step that stretches the full width of the bed, the inner panel lowering into a 48-inch-step capable of supporting 375 pounds, and a grab handle which folds out from the bed wall so that you have something to grasp.

• The load stop for the inner gate is a secondary barrier; if you have a plywood platform dividing the bed into two levels, then it serves to keep the upper load in place.

• The work surface of the inner gate: when you lower the inner gate with the primary gate shut, you get a flat surface at bed rail height. That is standing height for most people, so you can spread out plans, set down a laptop, or eat lunch without bending over.

If you wish to have the seventh option, there is the MultiPro Tailgate Audio System from KICKER, a 100-watt Bluetooth system built into the inner gate which operates even when the truck is not being used. It is an accessory and costs about $975.

The two you will actually use

The idea of there being six positions seems like mere marketing, whereas in reality the majority of owners only experience two of them.

The amount that the truck can carry is determined by the load stop. When you lower the gate and raise the barrier, you gain roughly the length of the lowered tailgate in supported cargo space, with no part of the load hanging off the back. How beneficial this advantage is will depend on the kind of bed you have. A bed that is 6 feet 6 inches long with the gate down can easily manage eight-foot loads. With a 5-foot-8-inch bed you will nearly reach it but not quite, so it is necessary to measure before coming to any conclusion.

 Regardless, the option price is worth it for anyone who buys lumber or pipe more than twice a year. The opposite side has the step. The truck beds are high up, and it soon becomes tedious to climb over the side or to scramble down from the bumper, especially in February in Connecticut when everything is covered in ice. A 48-inch step with a handle really is a safety improvement, not just a convenience.

Where you can get it, and one thing that changed for 2026

It is here that the details are important, and much of the published information is outdated 

The Sierra 1500 comes with the MultiPro as standard equipment on the higher trims and offers it as a $445 option on the lower trims. The $445 option applies to the Pro, SLE and Elevation, and it comes standard on the SLT, AT4, AT4X, Denali and Denali Ultimate. That split is unchanged from 2025. Still, check the window sticker on the specific truck rather than relying on a specification page, because option content can shift during a model year.

The true news regarding 2026 is one of removal: from now on the MultiPro Tailgate can no longer be ordered on the Sierra 1500 Double Cab at all, whereas the Regular Cab and Crew Cab models still do get it. So if you had intended to get a Double Cab because you wanted this tailgate, that idea is no longer feasible, and this kind of change won't appear in earlier articles.

The MultiPro is now being offered on the SLT trim of the 2500 HD and 3500 HD for 2026; previously it had been reserved for the higher trims. That's a genuine advantage for a contractor who is buying a work truck rather than a loaded one.

The Sierra EV comes with a six-function MultiPro Tailgate and there is no need for an option box or trim.

About that Midgate

The Sierra EV comes with an optional MultiPro Midgate that allows the back wall of the cab to be folded down so that the bed floor extends into the cabin. When the Midgate is in the down position, the rear seats are folded, the rear glass panel has been removed and the tailgate load stop is in place, you then have 10 feet 10 inches of cargo length. The bed alone is 5 feet 11 inches. This is the difference between transporting a 10-foot beam inside the truck and hauling it out the back with a rag tied to the end.

Here are two fair remarks about it.

It is offered, not standard. For the Elevation it is included in the Premium Package; for the AT4 it is part of the AT4 Premium Package and for the Denali it is available via either the Denali Premium Package or the Denali Reserve Package. In all cases it is supplied as part of a bundle and not as a standalone box you can tick on its own. Anyone who tells you the Midgate comes with the truck is wrong. 

Achieving the full length of 10 feet 10 inches requires a good deal of effort since the rear glass panel has to be removed and the rear seats have to be folded down; the panel then fits securely inside the vehicle so that you don't end up leaving it in the garage, but this is a procedure that you deliberately carry out in order to accommodate a specific load. It makes sense when you have a truly long load, but you won't do it on the way home from work.

Two things worth knowing before you buy

Check the hitch. In the case where you have a ball mount or a drawbar fitted, the inner gate may come into contact with it when it is lowered. Although GMC provides the option of disabling the inner gate to prevent this, you only realize this the first time and at that point you've scratched the tailgate. Make sure you check the clearance before lowering the inner gate with a hitch fitted.

The Canyon doesn't feature this option. The mid-size Canyon offers an available MultiStow tailgate, which is a storage compartment incorporated into the tailgate and also has a drain. It's useful and entirely different. When you're comparing a Canyon with a Sierra and the tailgate is one of the factors you're considering, you should see both models in person. The names are similar enough to lead to confusion.

Here's one more piece of straightforward advice: the MultiPro costs only $445, which makes it a cheap option when compared to other trucks. However, if you use your truck as a daily commuter and carry cargo four times a year, you'll end up using just two of the six positions and will forget about the others. You should buy it since you need to load things, not because it's a clever idea.

Go stand on it

The GMC Sierra is available at Northwest Hills on East Main Street in Torrington; what seems like a gimmick when you're reading it makes perfect sense after about thirty seconds spent in the parking lot.

Request that they go through all six positions, and then drop that step down and stand on it since it's the one that people choose. If you're able to, take with you whatever you actually carry.

When considering a Sierra HD SLT, you should open the tailgate when you phone in about it; this feature is new for this year on that model and not all the trucks on the lot will have it.

The MultiPro deals with the problems that truck owners have been coping with using ratchet straps and red rags for decades; it is simple and not costly.

Before you place your order, just check three points: which cab you will be receiving, whether your trim model includes it or charges extra for it, and whether your hitch will be in the way.

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