Height Adjustable Suspensions

Some cars come with suspension systems that can be raised or lowered depending on the need, this system is called height adjustable suspension. Usually low slung sports cars and SUVs come with height adjustable suspension. 

Height adjustable suspensions use hydraulic units, hydropneumatic, electronic hydraulic units, etc to compress the springs of the car with air or oil. The first car in the world to come with height adjustable suspension was the Citroen 15CVH which featured a self levelling system. 

Sports cars need to have low ground clearance for better aerodynamics, increase traction and fuel efficiency. However on poor roads and speed humps their low nose and ground clearance can cause the car to bottom out. This can damage their delicate and expensive body panels as well as damage mechanical components on the car. This is where height adjustable suspension steps in. The nose of the car can be raised so that your valuable property does not scrape its nose over a speed bump. On some cars the whole car can be raised to increase ground clearance and can be lowered when there is a great stretch of road and you want to give it the beans. 

SUVs feature height adjustable suspension for further increasing their height for off-roading. On the road the suspension is lowered to reduce body roll, better the drive dynamics and comfort of the car. A SUV driving on a lowered suspension also becomes more economical as a lower car creates lesser drag.