On the one hand, someone might say that with products like the Guinness Book of World Records-validated fastest production pickup, the Dodge Ram SRT10, and that incredibly capable off-road Dodge Ram Power Wagon, the folks at Dodge are all about producing niche products for purposes of having bragging rights. Now with the Mega Cab they have what’s said to be the largest pickup cab on the market. But given that there are a whole lot of commercial applications of heavy-duty pickups like the Mega Cab, which often involve large workers, it is sensible and sensational.

Arguably the most important styling feature of the Dodge Ram truck—most certainly since the advent of the “Big Rig” appearance that emerged in 1993—is the front of the vehicle. As Dennis Myles, senior manager, Dodge Truck Design, explains, with the Mega Cab they were working for more than two years on bringing that front end “to the next level.” As the 2002 model change amplified the long-haul carrier face, the challenge that Myles and his colleagues faced was that of providing “refinement” for the Mega Cab. The changes they’ve made are somewhat subtle. For example, the horse-collar surround for the Dodge cross-hair grille is faceted such that it is now six-sided and more integrated into the lower front fascia; the previous surround has a straight datum line across the lower surface. An area of particular concern was the headlamp. Ordinarily, there is a frosted area on the headlamp where the plastic interfaces with the sheetmetal of the front fender. But what they’ve done is modify the flange on the front of the fender stamping such that the lamp is integrated under the sheetmetal so the traditional masking is eliminated.