Chevy Multi-Flex Tailgate Brings Time Saving Functionality to Already Supreme Lineup

The Chevy Multi-Flex tailgate is a valuable asset in a war of sorts that has been brewing between full-sized pickup truck makers for quite some time now. We have observed here at West Chevy of Knoxville that engineers dedicate their careers to making sure that their brand has the competitive edge, as the battle for consumer loyalty has amped up! Improving the access to the bed and offering different ways to conquer every scenario are what the Multi-Flex was built for. 

The Multi-Flex tailgate is designed to make the workload of the truck owner that much simpler. Operating as a traditional pickup tailgate, it’s hinged at the bottom and can easily be lowered to a position aligned with the floor for easy loading- in and out. It opens using the key fob or a button inside the cab, or you can simply lower it manually with the old-school style handle directly on the tailgate. 

The tailgate comes equipped with a load stop, which comes in handy when your load is longer than the truck’s cargo box. It folds out of the tailgate’s top to form a vertical wall that can prevent loads from sliding right off the truck’s bed. The tailgate’s secondary portion drops down to enable the worker to get closer, a position that was not seen in the American pickup’s early days of existence.

When the secondary portion of the tailgate is lowered, there is another fold down section that you can open to reveal a step. This allows you an extra foothold, which makes things easier when your XXL-sized load blocks your downward vision, or when getting in and out of the truck bed. You can also lower the secondary tailgate in order to accept cargo above the box floor, which also has a fold-up load stop to assure that cargo doesn’t slide directly out of the rear during acceleration or from jolts on the road.

Once you have the secondary “half gate” folded down from the rest of the tailgate, a new area at about chest height pops out to use as a super-handy work surface. This is the ultimate spot for a laptop, quick bite to eat, or proper tunes for the upcoming tailgate party! Made from primarily aluminum, the Multi-Flex Tailgate is lightweight and not clunky like steel. We hope that you come down to check out this and all the other great features of the Silverado line-up here at West Chevy, where we have Knoxville’s best customer service and these rigs poised and ready for duty!

2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2: The Super-Sized and Wickedly Talented Wilderness Warrior

Here at West Chevy of Knoxville, we know just how popular off-roading has become in the last few years. 

People who have been cooped up are now finally free, and yearning for a little bit of off-road adventure! The most capable Chevy Silverado 1500 out there by far is the ZR2 trim, which turns up the heat and proudly secures itself as a segment leader.    

Some of the extras that allow you to do so much more than smooth cruising on the open road are a two-speed transfer case, Multimatic spool valve shock dampers, off-roading springs, front and rear locking differentials, hill descent control, 33-inch MG tires, along with skid plates that are in place to protect the oil pan, differential, and all-important transfer case. Things can get even more overland and rocky-road ready with the power liftgate, rear camera mirror, head-up display, and 180inch gloss black wheels. 

The engine choice for the current model Silverado ZR2 is one that we couldn't be happier about: it is the 6.2-liter V8 powertrain mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission, cranking out 420 steep-hill hungry horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. The Max towing limit is 8,900 pounds, and all the vitals have been thoroughly covered as far as achieving the optimal angles to provide successful clearance of the sudden roots, rocks, and water-carved ravines that you’ll encounter during the journey. 

10.7 inches of ground clearance and an approach angle of 38.3 degrees will assure that you can square off righteously with any incline needed to claim full-on backcountry victory, and anyone behind the wheel will see the advantages over the competition in the form of the Ram TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor. Since we have always had so much love for the essence of hefty trucks and how they can go the extra mile, the aggressively styled Silverado ZR2 is excellent at letting everyone that lays eyes on it no right away it is anything but run-of-the-mill. 

Once its differentials were fully locked, the Car and Driver team had a blast taking the 2022 Chevy Silverado ZR2 to the famed and desolate location of Joshua Tree, where shifting into Terrain Mode enabled the perfect 1-pedal trail driving setup that was ideal and intensely focused for the task at hand. The truck’s various high-resolution camera views get the job of providing a virtual spotter for planning the way through very technical terrain, which the tailpipes are routed up a little bit higher to perfectly accommodate. 

Once in deep sand, the Multimatic spool-valve dampers were “extreme experts in residence” of keeping the rear axle from drastic hopping and jolting around. Engage the new electronic joystick shifter on the console and prepare to easily clear, lurch, and blast your way up steep inclines and through washed-out brush: The Silverado ZR2 has more than generous game-changing grit and precision!

J.D. Power 2022 IQS Heralds Late Summer’s Horizon: Chevy Silverado HD is America’s “Best Heavy Duty Pickup”

Troy, Michigan is home to an American consumer research entity that has long been the authority on product quality, buyer demographics, utilities, automotive opinion, and wealth sectors. Founder James David Power III had worked in customer research and advertising himself for Ford, and it was here that he felt the all-important data regarding customer satisfaction had been overlooked for too long. J.D. Power created their first comprehensive Dealer Attitude Study in 1976, and the highly regarded and on-point U.S. Automotive Customer Satisfaction Index in 1981. 

These surveys are vital and always educational for us here at West Chevy of Knoxville, as every year brings new opportunities to celebrate as we usually have extreme bragging rights with multiple models at the top of the list! The latest J.D. Power 2022 U.S. IQS is based on the collected survey responses from 84,165 individuals who purchased or leased current-year models. This year’s thorough endeavor was composed of 223 questions, which examine vehicle quality based on nine traits. Features, climate, powertrain, controls and displays, exterior, driving assistance, infotainment, interior, seats, and overall driving experience are taken into consideration for each contender.

After gathering these responses, J.D. Power then finalizes individual model and brand scores using their infamous and very informative “PP100”, or Problems Per 100 vehicles stat. A lower score is an indicator of higher vehicle quality. The Chevy Silverado HD was slotted at the top of the Large Heavy-Duty Pickup segment, and the Chevy brand was ranked above Dodge with a collective PP100 score of 147. The Chevy Corvette, Equinox, Malibu, and Tahoe also were at the top of their respective categories, netting Chevrolet six champion-reigning segment awards for the year. 

There’s so much to love about the Silverado HD: When it first came onto the scene in 2000, the base powertrain was a Vortec 6.0-liter V8, which cranked out 300 eager horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque. Now enjoying its 4th generation and being expertly assembled by the hard-working men and women of Flint, Michigan, the HD moved to the T1 platform and saw an entirely new exterior design along with more space inside to sprawl out, more capable hardware, and the latest and greatest in technology features. 

The available configurations for the 2022 model are Work Truck, Custom, LT, LTZ, and High Country, providing various combinations for 22 durable and hard-working cab, chassis, bed, and driveline lineups. Every test drive of the 3500HD here at West Chevy is excited to work with 35,500 pounds of towing capacity with new hardware, more than half as much more than the previous generation. Bold-looking and loaded with awesome trailer technology to aid when the going gets tough, this award-winning beast is a well-appointed and headstrong tool for hard-working folks that can’t resist the pull of all-American and show-off-worthy steel!

Future of Powertrains Platform: InsideEVs Reports on 150,000 Current Reservations for Silverado EV

Our team here at West Chevrolet is always excited to learn what the future holds for our beloved brand. One of the biggest pieces of news and most popular incoming models is the all-new Chevy Silverado EV. We know the classic Silverado draws sentiments and nostalgia from Americans across the country, but we can guarantee that the incoming Silverado EV will be just as trusty, hefty and incredibly efficient as the model we all know and love! 

The InsideEVs blog just reported that there were currently over 150,000 reservations for the Chevy Silverado EV, compared to the 110,000 at the beginning of 2022. That’s a very respectable number for a vehicle that is scheduled for an official market launch in Spring of 2023: by that time, it’s possible that GM may beat the number of registrations that Ford collected for its rival F-150 Lightning. 85% of reservations are from new customers, and 70% of the reservations taken were from customers on either coast. 

Part of the official plan is to overtake Tesla in sales by providing a focus on much more affordable EVs. There is no reason that we cannot follow its gas-powered relatives in racking up stellar sales numbers, and the orders already in place are an incredibly promising sign. The official reveal of the Silverado EV was in January of this year, and the work truck model is expected to arrive during early spring of 2023, with the fully loaded and upper trim RST First Edition set to be available to the public in the fall of 2023. 

Any one of these 150,000 lucky customers along with others who decide to dive fully-fledged into the electric-powered stratosphere will enjoy some 400 miles of range, and DC Fast Charging at speeds of up to 100 miles of range in just ten minutes. Dual electric motors offer up standard all-wheel drive and up to 664 horsepower, and the Silverado EV will have a towing rating of up to 10,000 pounds. Buyers of the RST model will find that it comes with the extra additives of 24-inch wheels, an adaptive air suspension, while the Trail Boss offers up all-terrain tires and locking differentials. 

Once inside the RST Model you’ll enjoy a fixed glass roof, black-and-white two-tone leather upholstery with red piping, and available passenger space about identical to a regular Silverado crew cab pickup truck. There is a column-mounted shifter instead of one situated directly on the console, which creates enough space for a useful storage bin ideal for items that can be stowed away during the drive. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are expected to be standard, with in-dash navigation, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an on-board Wi-Fi hotspot to provide the ultimate in connectivity and entertainment options.

Stay tuned for more updates from West Chevrolet about the incoming Silverado EV or contact us today to make your reservation.