8 SUVs that come with a factory locking rear differential

Most SUVs rely on an open differential that sends power to whichever wheel has the least grip, which is often the one already spinning uselessly on ice, mud or loose rock. A locking differential forces both wheels on an axle to turn together, so power keeps reaching the wheel that still has traction. Here are eight SUVs that come with a factory locking rear differential.

1. Jeep Wrangler Rubicon: Tru-Lok Front And Rear

Rubicon-trim Wranglers pair a front and rear Tru-Lok differential, an electronically engaged system that forces both wheels on an axle to turn at the same speed once activated, so engine power splits evenly across the axle instead of draining into whichever tire has lost traction on loose dirt, rock, or mud.

The lockers engage through a dashboard switch rather than a floor lever, and Jeep pairs them with an electronically disconnecting front sway bar so each wheel can articulate further over broken ground, a combination few factory off-roaders still offer together on a single trim level today.

2. Ford Bronco Badlands: Standard Front-And-Rear Lockers

The Badlands trim lists an electronic-locking rear differential as standard equipment, pairing it with a front locker in the same package instead of reserving the front lock for a separate, higher-priced trim the way some rivals structure their off-road option sheets, so both axles arrive locking-capable from the factory.

Both differentials can be locked independently or together from a console-mounted dial, and Badlands adds front and rear stabilizer-bar disconnects plus heavier-duty suspension bushings, so the locked axles keep more wheel travel on rough trails instead of hanging a tire in the air over a rut or ledge.

3. Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road: Locker, Bigger Tires, Bilstein Shocks

The TRD Off-Road trim adds an electronic-locking rear differential alongside 33-inch tires, pairing the locker with more sidewall height and tread than the standard 4Runner wears so the extra traction from the locked axle has tires built to actually put it down on loose or uneven ground.

Remote-reservoir Bilstein shocks round out the package, giving the suspension more oil volume to resist fade on long, rough descents where a locked rear axle otherwise transmits every jolt straight through to the chassis, and the added tire size raises the truck’s approach and departure angles at the same time.

4. Lexus GX 550 Overtrail: Overtrail-Only Locking Switch

Lexus reserves the electronically controlled locking rear differential for the Overtrail grade alone, engaged through a console-mounted switch rather than offering it across the entire GX 550 lineup the way the brand spreads most other convenience options across its SUVs, keeping the hardware tied to the one off-road-focused grade.

Overtrail buyers also get a front stabilizer-bar disconnect and a multi-terrain monitor camera system, so the locked axle is paired with more suspension articulation and a direct view of what each wheel is doing on an obstacle, rather than a locker simply bolted onto an otherwise unchanged street-tuned suspension underneath it.

5. Toyota Land Cruiser 1958: Two Standard Locking Differentials

The Land Cruiser 1958 trim includes an electronic rear differential lock as standard equipment, and Toyota pairs it with a locking center differential rather than limiting the hardware to a single axle the way many competitors do on their entry-level off-road trims.

Locking the center differential first forces power to split evenly between the front and rear axles, and the rear lock then keeps that same axle’s two wheels turning together once one of them starts to slip on loose ground, giving the driver two separate stages of traction to call on.

6. Nissan Armada PRO-4X: Locker Plus Air Suspension

The PRO-4X trim adds an electronic locking rear differential alongside a height-adjustable air suspension and 275/60R20 all-terrain tires, combining the locked axle with more ground clearance than the standard Armada offers on its regular steel-spring setup, a pairing aimed squarely at towing and trail use.

Raising the air suspension before locking the differential gives the wheels more room to articulate over rocks and ruts, and the all-terrain tread is sized to keep both locked rear wheels finding grip on loose ground at the same time, instead of one wheel skating past the other while its partner stays planted uselessly in the loose surface.

7. INEOS Grenadier Trialmaster: Electronic Switch, Mechanical Lock

The Trialmaster edition includes front and rear differential locks that are electronically actuated but engage with what INEOS describes as 100 percent mechanical lock-up, rather than the partial electronic braking some rivals use to mimic the effect of a locked axle.

Both locks can be applied together for the most traction on loose terrain, and because the engagement itself is purely mechanical once activated, the axle stays locked even if the truck loses electrical power to the differential’s control sensors, a detail INEOS built the whole drivetrain around after consulting career off-road guides during development.

8. Mercedes-Benz G 550: Three Lockers, Standard AWD

The G 550 comes with three lockable differentials, front, center and rear, as standard equipment on top of its permanent 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, more locking hardware than most rivals on this list offer even as a paid option.

Locking all three forces every wheel to turn at the same speed regardless of grip, a setup meant for the steepest, loosest obstacles, while the permanent all-wheel drive keeps power split between both axles the rest of the time on pavement, long before any of the three locks is ever engaged by the driver.