The next-generation Ram 1500 will be raising the bar for pickup truck cargo beds when it debuts for the 2019 model year. A spy photographer just caught a 2019 Ram tester with an uncamouflaged tailgate that is clearly split vertically. The tailgate will be able to open like a regular tailgate while also opening sideways like French doors. The Honda Ridgeline’s tailgate opens like this, though as a solid piece without the split.

The handiness factor is huge here. Think about it: The tailgate can be swung open for better access to items deeper into the bed. The step bumper can actually be used as a step, too, allowing for an easy climb into the bed. The 60/40 split would also make it possible to carry longer items while still having a closed tailgate for loose cargo.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Ram’s split tailgate. Allpar.com actually found patent drawings of a 50/50-split tailgate on the U.S. Patent Office’s website, which is in the public domain. Though the percentage of the split is different, it’s presumed the production tailgate will operate in the same manner.

Ram isn’t new to innovation in the cargo bed. When the current generation of Ram trucks debuted in 2009, it brought the RamBox Cargo Management System – a lockable and watertight storage box within the walls of the cargo bed. No other pickup has such a feature, though the Chevrolet Avalanche came close. Only the Honda Ridgeline with its InBed Trunk has more watertight and lockable in-bed storage.

What do you think? Do you like this tailgate design? If this is an extra-cost option, what would you be willing to pay? Let us know in the comments below.

References

Ram 1500

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Ram 1500.

Read more upcoming the upcoming 1500 in our the 2019 Ram Departs From Classic "Big-Rig" Design story.

Read more Ram news.