Amit Saraswat 
Toyota has showcased the Tacoma X-Runner Concept at SEMA 2023 as a performance-focused street truck. The X-Runner concept aims for the resurgence of the sport truck segment, which peaked in the early 2000s.
It’s seldom when we associate pick-up trucks with performance until the mad Ford F-150 Raptor comes into the picture. Toyota has been missing in the performance pick-up truck segment. However, that could change soon since the Japanese carmaker has revealed the X-Runner Concept, based on the 2024 Tacoma pick-up truck.
The design and R&D folks at Toyota’s famous Catly Design Studio wanted to shift focus from the loud and rugged off-road concepts. Following a few brainstorming sessions, the team decided to go with the street truck build, boasting a 2WD drivetrain. When asked about the inspiration behind building an X-Runner Concept for the SEMA Show, Adam Rabinowitz, chief designer at Toyota’s Calty Design Research, shared, “There were lots of street trucks in the early 2000s and they all faded, so on the one hand, this was a curiosity check to see if there is any market for street trucks at all, or if the market has entirely shifted to what we see today—tough, rugged, lifted vehicles,”
Befitting its sport truck body format, the Tacoma X-Factor Concept boasts extended front and rear bumpers, side skirting and flared wheel arches. Apart from the cosmetic elements, the Tacoma X-Runner Concept features a 3.4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine. It produces 421PS of power and 649Nm of torque. What’s worth mentioning is that the same engine will be available in Tacoma from early next year as part of a TRD Performance package.
Ensuring that the power is channelled to the road efficiently, the sports truck also features an electronic locking differential that splits the torque going to the rear wheels. It also gets a solid rear axle with a 4.30:1 final drive ratio. Unlike the Tacoma pick-up which comes with a conventional exhaust system, the X-Runner Concept finds its exhaust jutting out under the rocker panel.
Speaking of other mechanical updates, Toyota has increased the front track width by 3 inches and also strengthened the frame. Furthermore, Toyota also borrowed the air suspension from the Tundra and extended the lower arms for the suspension, keeping the slammed vehicle nature in mind. By means of the X-Runner Concept, Toyota wanted to show the flexibility of the TNGA-F platform, which can be altered for different setups.
