SUV’s – Who’s got the highest ground clearance of them all?

By Nick Hodgson

Ground clearance is simply the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the underside of the chassis, typically measured by manufacturers on unladen mass in order to gain the highest possible figure. Living in South Africa with so many inhospitable dirt paths zigzagging across our country and the tarmac routes often looking worse than those dirt roads, it’s no wonder that so many of us are desperate to gain as much height as possible. So whether you’re looking to conquer the farthest flung reaches of our country or simply want extra piece of mind when making the daily pothole dodging run to work, ride height it turns out is one of the most critical factors to take into consideration when buying a car.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of every SUV/crossover currently on sale in South Africa and their respective ride heights. Land Rover, Jeep and Toyota dominate proceedings, no surprises there. However it’s the middle of the pack that provides some shocks.

Who’d have thought the Audi Q3 and Hyundai IX35 are so low to the ground when compared with something like a Renault Sandero Stepway? Or that the new Volvo XC90 is fighting it out with the big boys towards the top? Even something as innocuous as the Citroen C4 Aircross will surprise a few…