Land Rover patents adaptive suspension for airborne off-road jumps
Land Rover's new suspension system for off-road jumps and landings
Land Rover patents adaptive suspension for airborne off-road jumps
Land Rover has patented a system that detects when a vehicle goes airborne and adjusts the suspension for landing, targeting off-road models like the Defender. Learn about the technology and its potential.
2026-02-22T00:53:14+03:00
2026-02-22T00:53:14+03:00
2026-02-22T00:53:14+03:00
Land Rover has filed two patents describing a system that detects when a vehicle becomes airborne and adapts the suspension for landing. The documents, found in patent databases, relate to off-road models.The first development is a system that recognizes an "airborne event." It analyzes suspension travel, the rate of its position change, and the vehicle's pitch and roll angles. If two or more wheels reach their maximum travel while pitch and roll parameters meet specific thresholds, the electronics register that the vehicle has left the ground.The second part of the technology involves managing adaptive dampers. Upon detecting a jump, the suspension switches to a special mode with maximum compression damping and a predetermined rebound setting. This is designed to reduce impact loads upon landing. If the front axle lifts off first, the system pre-sets the rear dampers accordingly.Similar solutions are already used on the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX. However, Land Rover is proposing its own control algorithm. This technology could be relevant for top-tier off-roaders in 2026, including high-performance versions of the Defender. No timeline for implementing the system in production models has been announced.
Land Rover has patented a system that detects when a vehicle goes airborne and adjusts the suspension for landing, targeting off-road models like the Defender. Learn about the technology and its potential.
Michael Powers, Editor
Land Rover has filed two patents describing a system that detects when a vehicle becomes airborne and adapts the suspension for landing. The documents, found in patent databases, relate to off-road models.
The first development is a system that recognizes an "airborne event." It analyzes suspension travel, the rate of its position change, and the vehicle's pitch and roll angles. If two or more wheels reach their maximum travel while pitch and roll parameters meet specific thresholds, the electronics register that the vehicle has left the ground.
The second part of the technology involves managing adaptive dampers. Upon detecting a jump, the suspension switches to a special mode with maximum compression damping and a predetermined rebound setting. This is designed to reduce impact loads upon landing. If the front axle lifts off first, the system pre-sets the rear dampers accordingly.
Similar solutions are already used on the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX. However, Land Rover is proposing its own control algorithm. This technology could be relevant for top-tier off-roaders in 2026, including high-performance versions of the Defender. No timeline for implementing the system in production models has been announced.
