Ground clearance

Sport utility vehicle - or SUV - a type of car fitted with four-wheel drive, which was built for use off-road.

Departure angle is the maximum angle at which a vehicle can descend without the rear bumper or undercarriage touching the ground.

Wading depth is the maximum depth of water a vehicle can safely drive through without risking water damage.

A 4x4 car is one that is fitted with four-wheel drive, which means that the power created by the engine is sent to all four wheels.

An all-wheel-drive (AWD) system sends the power of the engine to both the front and rear wheels all the time so if one or more wheels is stuck, or can’t get any grip on the road, the other wheels are still driving the car forward. 

Hill descent control is a driver-assistance system that enables a car – usually an SUV – to go down a hill off-road without the driver having to use the brakes.

A car's approach angle is the maximum angle of incline it can approach or climb without it making contact with the ground.

Anti-lock braking systems (known as ABS) automatically kick in when a car’s wheels start to slip while braking.

A rear wheel drive car is one where the power generated by the engine is sent to the rear wheels, which then ‘push’ the car along.

A car with front-wheel drive (FWD) means that the engine and gearbox are connected directly to the front wheels only.

Dampers, also known as shock absorbers, are part of a vehicle's suspension system designed to control and reduce the impact of bumps in the road.

Ground clearance is the distance between the lowest point of a vehicle's undercarriage and the ground.