• Toyota unveils the 2024 Tacoma X-Runner concept at SEMA 2023 in Las Vegas.
The 2024 model-year marks the arrival of a new generation of the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The model was first introduced in Hawaii last May, and the first test drives are just around the corner.
Ahead of that, Toyota brought a performance-focused concept version for show-and-tell at the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
The Toyota X-Runner features a lowered suspension and benefits from more powerful mechanics, among other things.
Under the hood sits a version of the 3.4L V6 engine that powers the Tundra pickup truck. It's worth noting that the new Tacoma will only be offered with 4-cylinder engines, so this is Toyota going outside the box. The engine is tuned to deliver 421 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, enough to turn the pickup truck into something else more beastly.
For comparison, the most powerful version of the 2024 Tacoma is getting a 326-hp 2.4L hybrid 4-cylinder.
The X-Runner model also gets a solid rear axle borrowed from the Tundra, with a 4.30:1 gear ratio and an electronic locking differential distributing torque between the rear wheels. The exhaust pipe here runs just below the rocker panel on the side of the truck.
We also find the Tundra's air suspension. Says Toyota, that allows the Tacoma to ride lowered while still being able to carry loads. The truck's development team has also customized the control arm length due to the lowered position of the Tacoma. Toyota has reinforced the chassis and widened the vehicle's track by about five cm. The springs are stiffer, and there are 2.5-inch Bilstein shocks are found at all corners.
The pickup truck sits on 21-inch carbon-fibre wheels with forged aluminum centers, and wrapped in Michelin 285/45R21 Sport tires.
Fittingly, the truck at SEMA sports the same colour (Speedway Blue) as the original Tacoma X-Runner, which made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show in 2004.
Will we get a production version? There's no indication of that, but we can guess there would be interested buyers.
