Suspension - definition

Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two. Suspension systems must support both road holding/handling and ride quality, which are at odds with each other. The tuning of suspensions involves finding the right compromise.

It is important for the suspension to keep the road wheel in contact with the road surface as much as possible, because all the road or ground forces acting on the vehicle do so through the contact patches of the tires. The suspension also protects the vehicle itself and any cargo or luggage from damage and wear.

The design of front and rear suspension of a car may be different, and this is emphasized in our spec pages, where we list what type the front suspension is, what type the rear suspension is, and, if present, whether the suspension is adaptive (meaning the driver can choose between various suspension tuning modes on-the-fly through the infotainment system, picking from different modes which emphasize a soft ride on one end of the spectrum, and a ride tuned for great handling at the other end, with varying degrees of possibilities in between).

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