Why there's no rear differential lock on new 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado GX, GXL and VX but old 150 Series Prado, along with rivals like Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and GWM Tank 500, have lockers

If you regularly go bush, there’s something that might jump at you on the new 250 Series Toyota Prado’s spec sheet: a lack of locking rear differential on all but the Altitude trim. 

Previously, the 150 Series Prado range offered a rear locker on GXL, VX and Kakadu trims and now it comes exclusively on the Altitude off-roader, with the VX getting a limited-slip item. All other grades have open front and rear diffs.

The inclusion of a locking rear differential aids off-road capability, particularly in very demanding situations such as off-set mogul climbs and deep mud or sand.

They work by splitting 50 per cent of the drive equally between each wheel; an open differential, on the other hand, simply drives the wheel with least resistance. 

For 4WDs without lockers, this means the car relies on traction control to minimise wheel slip on tricky climbs or deep mud and this sometimes isn’t enough. 

Yet the Prado’s Australian vehicle development team is adamant the new 250 Series is more capable than the car it replaces despite missing the rear locker.

“For the Prado, just the frame alone — that stiffer frame — eliminated a lot of need for tuning and adjustment on the software, on the safety systems,” in this case, Australian Vehicle Evaluation Engineer Russel Tomlinson is describing stability and traction control programs in the new Prado. 

“The safety systems had to work less because of the rigidity and then when we came to diff locks, the car was [already] fit for purpose. 

“If we needed to go through mud, water crossings, loose stones, whatever, the target that we set — which was to improve on the previous LandCruiser — we achieved [without a rear diff-lock].” That’s the rationale for rolling with open rear differentials on most Prado trims.  

All 250 Series Prados are equipped with a full-time four-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic transmission, torsen centre differential with the ability to fully lock along with both high and low range transfer cases. 

Clever systems, including Crawl Control (an off-road cruise control) and multi-terrain select, are similar to the equipment offered in a Land Rover Discovery, for example. 

These are generally enough for most trails you’ll encounter and the rear diff-lock is usually reserved for only the toughest manoeuvres, for example when you’re bogged or bellied out. But it’s a nice insurance policy to have in remote areas.

Vehicles you might cross-shop with the Prado, including the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, are equipped with locking rear differentials on all 4x4 grades, while new cut-price alternatives, such as the GWM Tank 500, are arriving with front lockers, too. 

The Prado’s rear differential lock situation is similar to that of the larger 300 Series, with front and rear diff locks reserved for the GR Sport off-road flagship. That said, the bigger 300 Series gets a limited-slip rear differential on all trims (like Prado Kakadu). 

There is currently no GR Sport model, with the Altitude the most off-road focused trim. Along with the rear locker, there’s also a new electronic stabiliser disconnect system and 18-inch Toyo Open Country all-terrain rubber.